Mr Patsy McGlone (Mid Ulster): To ask the Minister of Education whether any assessment has been made by his Department of the impact of social media use on educational outcomes for children and young people.
Minister of Education: The department has not undertaken a specific standalone assessment of the impact of social media use on educational outcomes for children and young people. However, there is a growing and evolving body of evidence from a wide range of credible sources which indicates that the relationship between social media use and learning is complex, encompassing both potential benefits and harms.
To further inform policy development in this area, my department has funded a mobile phone-free pilot across nine post-primary schools. This initiative seeks to better understand the impact of reduced mobile phone use within school settings on behaviour, wellbeing and learning.
King’s College London has been commissioned to carry out an independent evaluation of the pilot. The department expects to receive the final evaluation report shortly, and it is anticipated that the findings will provide valuable insights to support schools and help promote healthier and more balanced digital habits among children and young people.
ENDS
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