Teen Reader Struggles Study

 

“New data underscores a troubling trend: Middle schoolers’ reading scores are stuck at post-pandemic lows, even as younger students show some signs of academic recovery. The research, from the assessment and research organization NWEA, examines 6th graders’ reading scores on the company’s MAP Growth tests between 2017 and 2025. On average, 6th graders lost ground between 2019 and 2021, during the height of COVID-related school disruptions. But after that, achievement trends began to diverge for students who were already stronger readers before the pandemic began, and students who were struggling. Sixth graders who were at 90th percentile and the 50th percentile in 2019 saw their scores flatline starting in 2022. But students at the 10th percentile have continued to lose ground, with achievement dropping further year after year. These patterns reinforce other data. Over the past two years, two sets of results from the National Assessment of Educational Progress have shown middle schoolers’ reading scores continuing to fall or stagnating, with the lowest-performing students driving the decline.” (EdWeek, Aug. 4, 2026). Kuhfield, M. (2026). Struggling adolescent readers left behind: Evidence of post-COVID-19 declines and pathways forward.  NWEA Research.  https://www.nwea.org/uploads/struggling-adolescent-readers-left-behind-evidence-of-post-covid-19-declines-and-pathways-forward_NWEA_Research-brief.pdf

Struggling Readers in Secondary Schools Survey

 Based on a national survey of teachers, principals, and district leaders, this report highlights widespread concerns—especially in higher-poverty schools—and examines key questions about training, resources, and family support. Data-driven findings point to solutions for strengthening secondary literacy. Topics include training on how to support middle and high school students struggling with basic reading skills, resources to help educators assist those students, and the role of parental support.

Struggling readers in secondary schools: Results of a national survey. (2026) Education Week.

https://www.edweek.org/research-center/reports/struggling-readers-in-secondary-schools-results-of-a-national-survey?utm_source=eb&utm_medium=eml&utm_campaign=RCReport&M=17140198&UUID=38915a68716182c0a0b20ace8b5219f7&T=22403136

teens and AI report

 Students are using AI tools. The study found that a majority of U.S. teens have used AI chatbots, and many report using them to support schoolwork and research. For educators and librarians, the issue is no longer whether AI belongs in education. The real question is whether schools will teach students how to use it responsibly.

How Teens Use and View AI. (2026). Pew Research CENTER.

https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2026/02/24/how-teens-use-and-view-ai/pi_2026-02-24_teens-and-ai_0-01/?_gl=1%2Axfpp0n%2A_up%2AMQ..%2A_gs%2AMQ..&gclid=Cj0KCQiAk6rNBhCxARIsAN5mQLuD1rnbi9_P4wWPrGN0j3TvT5shVi4oi2y2QzkSO5EdLccyCl6dABMaAuQHEALw_wcB&gbraid=0AAAAA-ddO9HhIP5NLYtpLbodzRDa_adD3&utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email

Banned Cellphone Impact Study

 A recent report indicates that nearly 80% of teens attend schools with "no cellphone" policies, but that students continue to use their devices for nonacademic purposes. Bans differ in scope, with about half of students reporting total restrictions throughout the school day and another 40% experiencing limits only during instructional time.

Rapaport, A. (2026). Cell Phone School Policies: Implementation, Perceived Impacts, and Student and Parent Beliefs. Center for Applied Research in Education at the University of Southern California   https://dornsife.usc.edu/cesr/wp-content/uploads/sites/54/2026/01/UAS-CARE-Cell-phone-policy-results.pdf

Students' Use of AI Report

 A  nationally representative survey of more than 1,000 teenagers indicated that 72 percent of teens have used AI as companions at least once, while 21 percent use them as companions a few times per week, and 13 percent use them daily. While almost half of survey respondents (46 percent) said they view AI as tools or programs, 33 percent said they use them for social interaction and relationships, 18 percent said they use them for conversation or social practice, 12 percent said they use them for emotional or mental health support, and another 12 percent said they use them for role-playing or imaginative scenarios (multiple responses to the question were allowed). But even AI chatbots specifically designed for mental health therapy—in which these types of safeguards should be baked in—currently may not be much better suited to the task than an all-purpose bot such as ChatGPT. AI demonstrated increased stigma toward certain mental health conditions, including schizophrenia, compared to other conditions such as depression, which could lead people with those stigmatized conditions to stop seeking therapy altogether. (excerpted from School Library Journal)

The Dawn of the AI Era: Teens, Parents, and the Adoption of Generative AI at Home and School. (2025). Common Sense Media. 

https://www.commonsensemedia.org/press-releases/new-report-shows-students-are-embracing-artificial-intelligence-despite-lack-of-parent-awareness-and

Journalism Study

 According to a recent report, “‘Biased,’ ‘Boring’ and ‘Bad’: Unpacking perceptions of news media and journalism among U.S. teens,” released in November 2025, 45 percent of teens said that journalists do more harm to democracy than protect it.

Biased, boring’ and ‘bad’: Unpacking perceptions of news media and journalism among U.S. teens. (2025).  News Literacy Project. https://newslit.org/news-and-research/teens-and-news-media/

Study on Teens Online

 A new report shows most US teens use YouTube and TikTok daily, with about one in five saying they are online almost constantly. The survey also found rising use of AI chatbots and notable demographic differences in platform habits, prompting continued concerns from experts about sleep, social skills and compulsive screen use.

 Faverio, M., & Sidoti, O.  (2025). Teens, social media and AI chat bots. 2025. Pew Research Center.

https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2025/12/09/teens-social-media-and-ai-chatbots-2025/

Teen and Teacher Use of AI Studies

A recent report investigated how American teens ages 13 to 17 are engaging with AI companions, based on a nationally representative survey of 1,060 teens conducted in April and May 2025. Notably, a third of teens reported using AI companions for social interaction and relationship support.

Talk, Trust, and Trade-Offs: How and Why Teens Use AI Companions. (2025). Common Sense Media. https://www.commonsensemedia.org/sites/default/files/research/report/talk-trust-and-trade-offs_2025_web.pdf

 

A recent report highlights how AI tools are reshaping teachers’ workloads, boosting instructional quality, and increasing classroom optimism. According to the findings, 60% of teachers used AI tools during the 2024–25 school year, with regular weekly users saving nearly six hours per week, time they redirected toward personalized teaching, more detailed student feedback, and improved communication with parents. They found that teachers who engage with AI more frequently tend to see more potential for AI tools in education.

Teaching for Tomorrow: Unlocking Six Weeks a Year With AI. (2025). Gallup/Walton Family Foundation. https://www.gallup.com/analytics/659819/k-12-teacher-research.aspx

Cell phone use in school studies

 

A recent study reveals that teens spend an average of 1.5 hours on their phones during school, with 25% exceeding two hours. This represents a significant increase from previous studies, which reported only 43 minutes of phone use during school.

Christakis D., et al. (2025). Adolescent smartphone use during school hours. JAMA Pediatrics.  doi:10.1001/jamapediatrics.2024.6627

Schools implementing cellphone bans have seen significant improvements in student behavior and engagement. The North Adams school district in Massachusetts reported a 75% drop in disciplinary referrals, while the Bentonville district in Arkansas saw a 57% reduction in aggression and a 51% decrease in drug-related offenses.
Banerji, O. (2025). What schools look like without cellphone distraction. Education Week. 
https://www.edweek.org/technology/what-schools-look-like-without-the-cellphone-distraction/2025/02
 

This report  looks at statewide laws and policies on cellphones in schools. 
Prothero, A., Langreo, L., & Klein, A. (2024). Whit states ban or restrict cellphones in school? Education Week. https://www.edweek.org/technology/which-states-ban-or-restrict-cellphones-in-schools/2024/06

Student ChatGPT Use Survey

 

Twenty-six percent of US teens ages 13 to 17 say they are using ChatGPT for schoolwork, doubling the figure who reported that use in 2023, a recent survey indicates. The survey also reveals that 54% of respondents consider using the AI tool acceptable for researching new topics, while 18% say the same about using it to write essays. 

Black and Hispanic teens (31% each) are more likely than White teens (22%) to say they have used ChatGPT for their schoolwork. 

Sidoti, O., Park, E., & Gottfried, J. (2025). About a quarter of U.S. teens have used ChatGPT for schoolwork - double the shrae in 2023. Pew Research Center. 

https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2025/01/15/about-a-quarter-of-us-teens-have-used-chatgpt-for-schoolwork-double-the-share-in-2023/https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2025/01/15/about-a-quarter-of-us-teens-have-used-chatgpt-for-schoolwork-double-the-share-in-2023/

Teen Video Viewing Report

 Video content is ubiquitous in students' lives, and a recent report highlights its effects on adolescents. The report emphasizes the importance of teaching students to be savvy consumers of digital media, noting that while video can be educational, it can also spread misinformation. 

APA recommendations for healthy teen video viewing. (2024). American Psychological Association . https://www.apa.org/topics/social-media-internet/apa-adolescent-video-consumption-recommendations.pdf

Teens' Favorite Social Media Platforms

 The Pew Research report reveals that YouTube, TikTok and Instagram are the most popular platforms among teens, with YouTube being used regularly by 90% of surveyed teens. Instagram and WhatsApp are seeing increased usage, while Facebook and X, the original giants of social media, have experienced significant declines in popularity among this demographic.

Faverio, M., & Sidoti, O. (2024). Teens, social media and technology. Pew Research Center.

https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2024/12/12/teens-social-media-and-technology-2024/

Teen Leisure Reading Decline Study

 A recent study found a decline in reading for fun among teenagers. That decline has been attributed to the rise of technology and excessive use of reading in standardized testing for comprehension and grading. While some teens are still avid readers, others find it hard to balance reading with their busy schedules, but librarians and educators suggest audiobooks and personalized book choices to reignite interest in reading.

Schaeffer, K. (2023). Among many U.S. children, reading for fun ahs become less common, Federal data shows. Pew Research Center. 

https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2021/11/12/among-many-u-s-children-reading-for-fun-has-become-less-common-federal-data-shows/ and https://pewrsr.ch/3C8TEEz

Research on Reading

 The International Literacy Association shared the following research on reading:

What the Research Says About Read-Alouds for Littles Read-alouds provide unique opportunities to support development and fostering a love of reading—and it’s never too early to start. In Ready for Read-Alouds: 10 Practices for Book-Sharing With Infants and Toddlers (The Reading Teacher, no subscription required), authors Claire D. Vallotton, Nicole Gardner-Neblett, Loria Kim, Tamesha Harewood, and Nell K. Duke share research-based ways to enrich read-alouds with our littlest learners, as well as how to set goals for sharing these important practices with fellow educators, families, and communities.

FREE TO READ Bias Starts Early. Let's Start Now: Developing an Anti-Racist, Anti-Bias Book Collection for Infants and Toddlers Nicole Gardner-Neblett, Atiya Addie, Anissa L. Eddie, Sandra K. Chapman, Nell K. Duke, and Claire D. Vallotton THE READING TEACHER | Open Access Reading During Adolescence: Why Adolescents Choose (or Do Not Choose) Books Katherine Wilkinson, Valentina Andries, Danielle Howarth, Jane Bonsall, Shari Sabeti, and Sarah McGeown JOURNAL OF ADOLESCENT & ADULT LITERACY | Open Access Understanding Literacies in Latinx Families: Teachers Using Home Visits to Reimagine Classroom Practices Judy Paulick, Amanda K. Kibler, and Natalia Palacios THE READING TEACHER | Open Access

Digital Practices for Reading Study

Researchers "used an academic resilience framework to explore how adolescents from low socioeconomic status (SES) backgrounds overcame adversity and achieved high levels of reading proficiency. Our main aim was to investigate whether digital reading practices and reading engagement (reading motivation and metacognitive strategies) could act as protective factors, individually and collectively, promoting academic resilience among students with low SES. Digital reading was related to reading motivation, and then to better awareness of metacognitive strategies, which in turn was shown to be linked to increased reading achievement for all students.

Jang, E., Seo, Y., & Brutt-Griffler, J. (2022). Building Academic Resilience in Literacy: Digital Reading Practices and Motivational and Cognitive Engagement. Reading Research Quarterly. 

https://doi.org/10.1002/rrq.486 

Teens and Health Fake News Study

 A new study has found that teenagers have a hard time discerning between fake and true health messages. Only 48% of the participants trusted accurate health messages more than fake ones. Meanwhile, 41% considered fake and true neutral messages equally trustworthy and 11% considered true neutral health messages less trustworthy than fake health messages.

“Superlatives, clickbaits, appeals to authority, poor grammar, or boldface: Is editorial style related to the credibility of online health messages?” by Radomír Masaryk et al. Frontiers in Psychology

Teen Social Media Use Study

 A cross-sectional study in the United Kingdom has revealed an association between social media use and lower life satisfaction among children and adolescents aged 10-21 years. "Cross-sectional relationship between self-reported estimates of social media use and life satisfaction ratings is most negative in younger adolescents. Furthermore, sex differences in this relationship are only present during this time. Longitudinal analyses of 17,409 participants (10–21 years old) suggest distinct developmental windows of sensitivity to social media in adolescence, when higher estimated social media use predicts a decrease in life satisfaction ratings one year later (and vice-versa: lower estimated social media use predicts an increase in life satisfaction ratings). These windows occur at different ages for males (14–15 and 19 years old) and females (11–13 and 19 years old). Decreases in life satisfaction ratings also predicted subsequent increases in estimated social media use, however, these were not associated with age or sex." (Abstract).

Orben, A., Przybylski, A.K., Blakemore, SJ. et al. Windows of developmental sensitivity to social media. Nat Commun 13, 1649 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-022-29296-3

Teen media use study

New research shows that media of all types -- entertainment, social, creative -- has played an important role in helping kids get through a very tough time. Tweens and teens have been using entertainment media to keep their connections and their creativity alive when their worlds are so disrupted. Moreover, they have been using media to boost their moods, connect with friends, and even learn new things outside of school. The data in this report reinforces why it's so important to point kids toward the very best of media, like the shows, games, apps, and books that engage, inspire, and represent everyone equally. And it also serves as a reminder that when kids turn to media, they need to enter spaces that are safe, healthy, and free of hate speech and misinformation. But the data also shows that no matter how engaging media has been for kids during this time, they're ready for a return to in-person connections and a more "normal" media balance.

Rideout, V., & Robb, M. (2021). The role of media during the pandemic: connection, creativity, and learning for tweens and teens. Common Sense Media

https://www.commonsensemedia.org/sites/default/files/research/report/8-18-role-of-media-research-report-final-web.pdf

Teen screen time study

 

Researchers surveyed over 5,000 adolescents, mostly those ages 12 and 13, and found that recreational screen time among teens rose twofold to almost eight hours per day during pandemic lockdowns, compared with before the pandemic. The findings in JAMA Pediatrics also showed that Hispanic and Black teens and teens from lower-income families had more screen time use. Recreational screen time among U.S. teens doubled from before the pandemic to nearly eight hours per day during the pandemic, according to the report. And this estimate doesn't include time spent on screens for remote learning or schoolwork, so the total was likely much higher. "More screen time was linked to poorer mental health and greater stress among teens," said lead researcher Dr. Jason Nagata. "Although social media and video chat can be used to foster social connection, we found that teens reporting higher screen use felt less social support during the pandemic."

Nagata, J., Pietra, P., & Wartella, E. (2021, Nov. 1). Screen Time Use Among US Adolescents During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Findings From the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study. JAMA Pediatrics. doi: 10.1001/jamapediatrics.2021.4334

Australian teen reading attitudes survey

 The following infographic summarizes an survey of 15 year old Australians.

Underwood, C. (2021). Snapshots, April 2021: What do Australian 15 year olds think about reading? ACER. 

https://research.acer.edu.au/teacher_graphics/142/