NPR

A Look At Social Media Finds Some Possible Benefits For Kids

Researchers analyzing data from a study looking at adolescent cognition found greater social media use was associated with increased physical activity and less family conflict.
Communities and online social networks can be beneficial for kids, a researcher says.

Screen time is often considered the enemy when it comes to teaching kids to be active and well-behaved. But should all forms of media be considered equal?

Research being presented Tuesday finds that for 9- and 10-year-old children taking part in a study of brain development, greater social media use, such as using scrolling through Instagram and texting, was associated with some positive effects, including increased physical activity, less family conflict and fewer sleep problems.

The children who had a higher use of general media, like Internet, TV and video games, were more prone to have

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