Survey: Late Nights Online Affecting Behavior and Academic Performance, Worrying Parents

The majority of parents have found their kids using social media or browsing the Internet when they were supposed to be sleeping and parents are worried that the lack of sleep is causing their kids to be more irritable and less able to concentrate on schoolwork, according to the results of a new survey.

Stop Procrastinating, a company that offers site blocking and filtering software, conducted the survey of 3,000 parents of children aged 12 to 15 between August 14 and September 18, 2015. The survey found that parents are concerned about the effects of late-night Internet use on their children's behavior and academic performance, but they also feel like they are "unable to ban the use of social media as its presence is so pervasive," according to a news release from the company.

"Children used to be caught having a midnight snack or reading under the bed covers, now they are staying up late into the night browsing the internet or using social media, sending messages to friends," said Tim Rollins, research director at Stop Procrastinating, in a prepared statement.

Key findings from the survey:

  • 74 percent of parents said they believe late-night Internet use has affected the quality of their children's sleep;
  • 62 percent told researchers they think their kids are more irritable and less able to concentrate as a result of their late-night online activities;
  • 69 percent said they are worried the behavior could lead to fatigue and reduced concentration on schoolwork;
  • 37 percent indicated they are worried that it could lead to anxiety and depression;
  • 51 percent reported a noticeable effect on their children's ability to finish homework;
  • 36 percent told researchers they had raised the issue with teachers, who also noticed that the children were more tired;
  • 59 percent of parents said they had observed their kids using social media while doing homework and worried about the effects of multitasking on academic concentration and performance; and
  • 42 percent reported feeling guilty that their children's education was being affected by late-night Internet use.

Stop Procrastinating weighted the survey results for age and region and used "standard national opinion polling methodologies," according to a news release from the company.

About the Author

Leila Meyer is a technology writer based in British Columbia. She can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • Stylized illustration of an AI microchip connected to a laptop, server rack, and monitor with a chart

    HPE and Nvidia Expand AI Infrastructure Partnership

    Hewlett Packard Enterprise and Nvidia have announced an expanded partnership to accelerate enterprise artificial intelligence adoption through new modular infrastructure and turnkey AI platform offerings.

  • shield with an AI microchip emblem hovering above stacks of gold coins

    Report: AI Security Spend Surges While Traditional Security Budgets Shrink

    A new report from global cybersecurity company Thales reveals that while enterprises are pouring resources into AI-specific protections, only 8% are encrypting the majority of their sensitive cloud data — leaving critical assets exposed even as AI-driven threats escalate and traditional security budgets shrink.

  • digital learning resources including a document, video tutorial, quiz checklist, pie chart, and AI cloud icon

    Quizizz Rebrands as Wayground, Announces New AI Features

    Learning platform Quizizz has become Wayground, in a rebranding meant to reflect "the platform's evolution from a quiz tool into a more versatile supplemental learning platform that's supported by AI," according to a news announcement.

  • teen studying with smartphone and laptop

    OpenAI Developing Teen Version of ChatGPT with Parental Controls

    OpenAI has announced it is developing a separate version of ChatGPT for teenagers and will use an age-prediction system to steer users under 18 away from the standard product, as U.S. lawmakers and regulators intensify scrutiny of chatbot risks to minors.