International Declines in Academic Performance and Increases in Loneliness Are Linked to Electronic Devices

Concern has mounted about negative trends in adolescents' psychological well-being and academic performance, but international data is scant. The rollout and impact of electronic devices have varied across countries, providing the opportunity to examine the results of a natural experiment.

Adolescents participated in the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) survey of 15- and 16-year-old students from 36 countries around the world including those in North America, Latin America, Europe, and Asia (n = 1,788,128; 50% female). PISA was conducted with a new sample every 3 years between 2000 and 2022, with the 2022 data collection delayed a year due to COVID-19.

In most countries, feeling lonely at school increased while academic performance on standardized tests in math, reading, and science declined, particularly between 2012 and 2022. Thus, declines in adolescent well-being and academic performance are international rather than isolated to only some countries. Increases in loneliness and declines in academic performance were larger in countries with greater increases in adolescent smartphone access and in countries where adolescents reported spending more time using electronic devices for leisure purposes during school hours.

Outcomes for adolescents became markedly worse during years when they spent an increasing amount of time on electronic devices. The declines were more pronounced in countries where smartphones became a more significant distraction during the school day. These results suggest that the growing use of personal electronic devices had a deleterious impact on the school environment.