26.6 C
Vientiane
Wednesday, September 10, 2025
spot_img
Home Blog Page 2154

Two Studies from Milano-Bicocca and SUPSI Highlight Long-Term Consequences of Early Smartphone Use in Children

A group of researchers from the University of Milano-Bicocca and SUPSI, by means of longitudinal data provided by INVALSI (Italian Institute for the Evaluation of the Education System), has confirmed that early smartphone usage before the age of 12 does not bring benefits. Instead, it is associated with lower digital skills, higher problematic smartphone use and can, in fact, diminish the academic performance of students.

MILAN, ITALY – Newsaktuell – 29 January 2024 – The intensive and premature use of smartphones among children and pre-adolescents shows negative relationships with learning, digital skills, problematic smartphone use and active use of social media. In particular, it diminishes the academic achievements of a substantial portion of the student population. Two studies from Milano-Bicocca and SUPSI substantiates these findings using INVALSI data, also moving beyond mere correlations.

The first study, titled “The Age of the Smartphone: An Analysis of Social Predictors of Children’s Age of Access and Potential Consequences Over Time” and published in “Youth&Society”, investigates the associations between the age of access to the device and selected life outcomes in a representative sample of 3,247 Italian students in grade 10. While showing that females and students from less-educated families are more likely to receive smartphones earlier, the study finds that early smartphone access is negatively associated with adolescents’ well-functioning at the age of 16 (even controlling for a number of socio-economic variables). Deferring access also reduces the gender gap in language proficiency, digital skills and life satisfaction. The study was conducted by Tiziano Gerosa, a researcher at the University of Professional Studies of Southern Switzerland (SUPSI), Marco Gui, Director of the Digital Transformation and Wellbeing Lab at the University of Milano-Bicocca (Department of Sociology and Social Research) and Lucilla Losi, postdoc and research assistant at the Department of Business Development and Technology, Aarhus University.

The second study, titled “Earlier Smartphone Acquisition Negatively Impacts Language Proficiency, but Only for Heavy Media Users. Results from a Longitudinal Quasi-Experimental Study” – authored by Tiziano Gerosa and Marco Gui – tested the main theoretical hypotheses regarding the role of smartphones in the learning process (both those positing benefits and those anticipating negative effects) using longitudinal data.

“This study is one of the first to delve into the impact of early smartphone use on learning levels using a more sophisticated counterfactual design and nationwide standardized tests,” says Tiziano Gerosa. “It is, in fact, a quasi-experimental study that uses longitudinal INVALSI data on children and pre-adolescents transitioning from primary to lower secondary school. This methodology allows us to approach, albeit with certain assumptions, a causal interpretation of the results.”

The research encompassed an age range of 10-14 years, comparing those who acquired the device at 10 and 11 years old, during the transition from primary to lower secondary school, to those who received it in later years, specifically at 12, 13 and 14 years old. The total sample consisted of 1,672 italian students from lower secondary schools, with administrative information collected over time by the National Institute for the Evaluation of the Education System (INVALSI).

The results do not indicate any benefits at the end of the lower secondary school for those who obtained smartphones early, even for the most academically motivated students. However, participants who built intensive media usage habits before owning a smartphone (more than two hours per day of TV and video games) experienced a significant negative impact on their Italian language learning. At the time of data collection, students with intensive screen use – and therefore subject to the potential negative effect of smartphones – comprised 23.5 percent of the Italian student population.

“These results not only confirm the existence of negative relationships between early smartphone use and life outcomes in the long-run – says Marco Gui – but also show that behind such correlations lies a direct negative impact, which becomes visible for those with a reduced ability to limit screen time due to family context or specific psychological characteristics.”

There has long been a significant debate about the impact of digital media use on the development of minors. The literature has already identified a negative relationship between early and excessive smartphone use and academic results, but often, there have been complaints about the absence of more robust scientific evidence beyond mere correlations.

Further research on this topic is ongoing at the Milano-Bicocca ‘Digital Transformation and Wellbeing Lab‘, in collaboration with the University of Brescia and local associations (Sloworking and Socialis). In particular, the EYES UP project (EarlY Exposure to Screens and Unequal Performance) aims to analyze the impact of a range of early online devices and experiences on learning levels throughout students’ academic careers, from primary to upper secondary school.

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

Court Orders China Evergrande Property Developer to Liquidate After It Failed to Reach Debt Deal

Court orders China Evergrande property developer to liquidate after it failed to reach debt deal
The Evergrand Group headquarters logo is seen in Shenzhen in southern China's Guangdong province, Firday 24 September, 2021. (Photo: AP/Ng Han Guan)

HONG KONG (AP) — A Hong Kong court on Monday ordered property developer China Evergrande Group to liquidate after it was unable to reach a restructuring deal with creditors.

3P Media Celebrates Milestone Launch as Official Sales Representative for Google Ads in Laos

3P Media Celebrates Milestone Launch as Official Sales Representative for Google Ads in Laos
3P Launch at Crowne Plaza, Vientiane Capital. (Photo: 3P Media)

3P Media, the Official Media Sales Representative for Google in Sri Lanka, Laos, and Brunei, marked their official presence in Laos with an evening filled with insightful discussions and information about the ever-evolving digital media landscape in Laos.

LOCA PAY Set to Transform Tourist Payments for Visit Laos Year 2024

LOCA PAY Set to Transform Tourist Payments for Visit Laos Year 2024
LOCA Pay. (Photo: LOCA)
As Laos prepares for the “Visit Laos Year 2024” and its prestigious ASEAN Chairmanship, LOCA, the preeminent eco-friendly ride-hailing network in the country, is poised to transform the tourist payment experience with its innovative digital payment solution, LOCA PAY.

Tour Operator Focus Asia Under Fire for Unpaid Debts to Luxury Hotels in Laos

Tour Operator Focus Asia Under Fire for Unpaid Debts to Luxury Hotels in Laos
Aerial view of The Grand Luang Prabang. (Photo: The Grand).

UPDATED on 26 January at 4:36 PM (GMT+7)

Luxury hotels and resorts in Laos, particularly in Luang Prabang Province, are raising concerns over tens of thousands of dollars in unpaid debts by Focus Asia, a prominent destination management company. Despite years of collaboration and trust-building, the company has allegedly failed to honor financial commitments made to its hospitality partners in Laos.

Man Sentenced to Death for Arson Attack at Japanese Anime Studio That Killed 36

Police officers gather outside the Kyoto District Court in Kyoto, western Japan, Thursday, 25 January 2024, ahead of the sentencing hearing for Shinji Aoba, who has confessed to a deadly arson attack in July 2019 on a Kyoto Animation Co. studio. Aoba was convicted of murder and other crimes Thursday for carrying out the shocking arson attack on the anime studio that killed 36 people and drew an outpouring of grief from anime fans worldwide. (Miki Matsuzaki/Kyodo News via AP)

TOKYO (AP) — A Japanese court sentenced a man to death after finding him guilty of murder and other crimes Thursday for carrying out a shocking arson attack on an anime studio in Kyoto, Japan, that killed 36 people.

Thai-Lao Medical Cooperation Brings Hope to Lao Infants with Congenital Heart Defects

China’s ‘Love Heart Journey' Offers Lifeline to Lao Children Battling Heart Disease
A heart disease patient from Laos receives color Doppler ultrasound check at Yunnan Fuwai Cardiovascular Hospital. (photoL Yang Jinghao)

A medical collaboration between Laos and Thailand is demonstrating early successes in assisting Lao infants diagnosed with congenital heart defects. The first infant, who underwent surgery in Thailand on November 22, 2023, has returned home in good health, as reported by Dr. Somsak Pratiphannawat, the director of Nong Khai Hospital in northeastern Thailand, on January 23. Currently, 36 Lao infants are scheduled to receive free surgeries in Thai hospitals throughout 2024.

Laos Attracts Big Celebrity Names in 2023

Shaun Evans (right) and Sathou Onekeo Sittivong (left). (Photo: Sathou Onekeo Sittivong)

From big-name YouTubers to Asian superstars and Hollywood actors, Laos has welcomed some big names to the country over the past year. Here‘s a quick snapshot of the people who visited Asia’s hidden gem in 2023: