effects of homework on social life

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Education scholar Denise Pope has found that too much homework has negative effects on student well-being and behavioral engagement. (Image credit: L.A. Cicero)

A Stanford researcher found that too much homework can negatively affect kids, especially their lives away from school, where family, friends and activities matter.

“Our findings on the effects of homework challenge the traditional assumption that homework is inherently good,” wrote Denise Pope , a senior lecturer at the Stanford Graduate School of Education and a co-author of a study published in the Journal of Experimental Education .

The researchers used survey data to examine perceptions about homework, student well-being and behavioral engagement in a sample of 4,317 students from 10 high-performing high schools in upper-middle-class California communities. Along with the survey data, Pope and her colleagues used open-ended answers to explore the students’ views on homework.

Median household income exceeded $90,000 in these communities, and 93 percent of the students went on to college, either two-year or four-year.

Students in these schools average about 3.1 hours of homework each night.

“The findings address how current homework practices in privileged, high-performing schools sustain students’ advantage in competitive climates yet hinder learning, full engagement and well-being,” Pope wrote.

Pope and her colleagues found that too much homework can diminish its effectiveness and even be counterproductive. They cite prior research indicating that homework benefits plateau at about two hours per night, and that 90 minutes to two and a half hours is optimal for high school.

Their study found that too much homework is associated with:

* Greater stress: 56 percent of the students considered homework a primary source of stress, according to the survey data. Forty-three percent viewed tests as a primary stressor, while 33 percent put the pressure to get good grades in that category. Less than 1 percent of the students said homework was not a stressor.

* Reductions in health: In their open-ended answers, many students said their homework load led to sleep deprivation and other health problems. The researchers asked students whether they experienced health issues such as headaches, exhaustion, sleep deprivation, weight loss and stomach problems.

* Less time for friends, family and extracurricular pursuits: Both the survey data and student responses indicate that spending too much time on homework meant that students were “not meeting their developmental needs or cultivating other critical life skills,” according to the researchers. Students were more likely to drop activities, not see friends or family, and not pursue hobbies they enjoy.

A balancing act

The results offer empirical evidence that many students struggle to find balance between homework, extracurricular activities and social time, the researchers said. Many students felt forced or obligated to choose homework over developing other talents or skills.

Also, there was no relationship between the time spent on homework and how much the student enjoyed it. The research quoted students as saying they often do homework they see as “pointless” or “mindless” in order to keep their grades up.

“This kind of busy work, by its very nature, discourages learning and instead promotes doing homework simply to get points,” Pope said.

She said the research calls into question the value of assigning large amounts of homework in high-performing schools. Homework should not be simply assigned as a routine practice, she said.

“Rather, any homework assigned should have a purpose and benefit, and it should be designed to cultivate learning and development,” wrote Pope.

High-performing paradox

In places where students attend high-performing schools, too much homework can reduce their time to foster skills in the area of personal responsibility, the researchers concluded. “Young people are spending more time alone,” they wrote, “which means less time for family and fewer opportunities to engage in their communities.”

Student perspectives

The researchers say that while their open-ended or “self-reporting” methodology to gauge student concerns about homework may have limitations – some might regard it as an opportunity for “typical adolescent complaining” – it was important to learn firsthand what the students believe.

The paper was co-authored by Mollie Galloway from Lewis and Clark College and Jerusha Conner from Villanova University.

Media Contacts

Denise Pope, Stanford Graduate School of Education: (650) 725-7412, [email protected] Clifton B. Parker, Stanford News Service: (650) 725-0224, [email protected]

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More than two hours of homework may be counterproductive, research suggests.

A Stanford education researcher found that too much homework can negatively affect kids, especially their lives away from school, where family, friends and activities matter.   "Our findings on the effects of homework challenge the traditional assumption that homework is inherently good," wrote Denise Pope , a senior lecturer at the Stanford Graduate School of Education and a co-author of a study published in the Journal of Experimental Education .   The researchers used survey data to examine perceptions about homework, student well-being and behavioral engagement in a sample of 4,317 students from 10 high-performing high schools in upper-middle-class California communities. Along with the survey data, Pope and her colleagues used open-ended answers to explore the students' views on homework.   Median household income exceeded $90,000 in these communities, and 93 percent of the students went on to college, either two-year or four-year.   Students in these schools average about 3.1 hours of homework each night.   "The findings address how current homework practices in privileged, high-performing schools sustain students' advantage in competitive climates yet hinder learning, full engagement and well-being," Pope wrote.   Pope and her colleagues found that too much homework can diminish its effectiveness and even be counterproductive. They cite prior research indicating that homework benefits plateau at about two hours per night, and that 90 minutes to two and a half hours is optimal for high school.   Their study found that too much homework is associated with:   • Greater stress : 56 percent of the students considered homework a primary source of stress, according to the survey data. Forty-three percent viewed tests as a primary stressor, while 33 percent put the pressure to get good grades in that category. Less than 1 percent of the students said homework was not a stressor.   • Reductions in health : In their open-ended answers, many students said their homework load led to sleep deprivation and other health problems. The researchers asked students whether they experienced health issues such as headaches, exhaustion, sleep deprivation, weight loss and stomach problems.   • Less time for friends, family and extracurricular pursuits : Both the survey data and student responses indicate that spending too much time on homework meant that students were "not meeting their developmental needs or cultivating other critical life skills," according to the researchers. Students were more likely to drop activities, not see friends or family, and not pursue hobbies they enjoy.   A balancing act   The results offer empirical evidence that many students struggle to find balance between homework, extracurricular activities and social time, the researchers said. Many students felt forced or obligated to choose homework over developing other talents or skills.   Also, there was no relationship between the time spent on homework and how much the student enjoyed it. The research quoted students as saying they often do homework they see as "pointless" or "mindless" in order to keep their grades up.   "This kind of busy work, by its very nature, discourages learning and instead promotes doing homework simply to get points," said Pope, who is also a co-founder of Challenge Success , a nonprofit organization affiliated with the GSE that conducts research and works with schools and parents to improve students' educational experiences..   Pope said the research calls into question the value of assigning large amounts of homework in high-performing schools. Homework should not be simply assigned as a routine practice, she said.   "Rather, any homework assigned should have a purpose and benefit, and it should be designed to cultivate learning and development," wrote Pope.   High-performing paradox   In places where students attend high-performing schools, too much homework can reduce their time to foster skills in the area of personal responsibility, the researchers concluded. "Young people are spending more time alone," they wrote, "which means less time for family and fewer opportunities to engage in their communities."   Student perspectives   The researchers say that while their open-ended or "self-reporting" methodology to gauge student concerns about homework may have limitations – some might regard it as an opportunity for "typical adolescent complaining" – it was important to learn firsthand what the students believe.   The paper was co-authored by Mollie Galloway from Lewis and Clark College and Jerusha Conner from Villanova University.

Clifton B. Parker is a writer at the Stanford News Service .

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Does Homework Really Help Students Learn?

A conversation with a Wheelock researcher, a BU student, and a fourth-grade teacher

“Quality homework is engaging and relevant to kids’ lives,” says Wheelock’s Janine Bempechat. “It gives them autonomy and engages them in the community and with their families. In some subjects, like math, worksheets can be very helpful. It has to do with the value of practicing over and over.” Photo by iStock/Glenn Cook Photography

Do your homework.

If only it were that simple.

Educators have debated the merits of homework since the late 19th century. In recent years, amid concerns of some parents and teachers that children are being stressed out by too much homework, things have only gotten more fraught.

“Homework is complicated,” says developmental psychologist Janine Bempechat, a Wheelock College of Education & Human Development clinical professor. The author of the essay “ The Case for (Quality) Homework—Why It Improves Learning and How Parents Can Help ” in the winter 2019 issue of Education Next , Bempechat has studied how the debate about homework is influencing teacher preparation, parent and student beliefs about learning, and school policies.

She worries especially about socioeconomically disadvantaged students from low-performing schools who, according to research by Bempechat and others, get little or no homework.

BU Today  sat down with Bempechat and Erin Bruce (Wheelock’17,’18), a new fourth-grade teacher at a suburban Boston school, and future teacher freshman Emma Ardizzone (Wheelock) to talk about what quality homework looks like, how it can help children learn, and how schools can equip teachers to design it, evaluate it, and facilitate parents’ role in it.

BU Today: Parents and educators who are against homework in elementary school say there is no research definitively linking it to academic performance for kids in the early grades. You’ve said that they’re missing the point.

Bempechat : I think teachers assign homework in elementary school as a way to help kids develop skills they’ll need when they’re older—to begin to instill a sense of responsibility and to learn planning and organizational skills. That’s what I think is the greatest value of homework—in cultivating beliefs about learning and skills associated with academic success. If we greatly reduce or eliminate homework in elementary school, we deprive kids and parents of opportunities to instill these important learning habits and skills.

We do know that beginning in late middle school, and continuing through high school, there is a strong and positive correlation between homework completion and academic success.

That’s what I think is the greatest value of homework—in cultivating beliefs about learning and skills associated with academic success.

You talk about the importance of quality homework. What is that?

Quality homework is engaging and relevant to kids’ lives. It gives them autonomy and engages them in the community and with their families. In some subjects, like math, worksheets can be very helpful. It has to do with the value of practicing over and over.

What are your concerns about homework and low-income children?

The argument that some people make—that homework “punishes the poor” because lower-income parents may not be as well-equipped as affluent parents to help their children with homework—is very troubling to me. There are no parents who don’t care about their children’s learning. Parents don’t actually have to help with homework completion in order for kids to do well. They can help in other ways—by helping children organize a study space, providing snacks, being there as a support, helping children work in groups with siblings or friends.

Isn’t the discussion about getting rid of homework happening mostly in affluent communities?

Yes, and the stories we hear of kids being stressed out from too much homework—four or five hours of homework a night—are real. That’s problematic for physical and mental health and overall well-being. But the research shows that higher-income students get a lot more homework than lower-income kids.

Teachers may not have as high expectations for lower-income children. Schools should bear responsibility for providing supports for kids to be able to get their homework done—after-school clubs, community support, peer group support. It does kids a disservice when our expectations are lower for them.

The conversation around homework is to some extent a social class and social justice issue. If we eliminate homework for all children because affluent children have too much, we’re really doing a disservice to low-income children. They need the challenge, and every student can rise to the challenge with enough supports in place.

What did you learn by studying how education schools are preparing future teachers to handle homework?

My colleague, Margarita Jimenez-Silva, at the University of California, Davis, School of Education, and I interviewed faculty members at education schools, as well as supervising teachers, to find out how students are being prepared. And it seemed that they weren’t. There didn’t seem to be any readings on the research, or conversations on what high-quality homework is and how to design it.

Erin, what kind of training did you get in handling homework?

Bruce : I had phenomenal professors at Wheelock, but homework just didn’t come up. I did lots of student teaching. I’ve been in classrooms where the teachers didn’t assign any homework, and I’ve been in rooms where they assigned hours of homework a night. But I never even considered homework as something that was my decision. I just thought it was something I’d pull out of a book and it’d be done.

I started giving homework on the first night of school this year. My first assignment was to go home and draw a picture of the room where you do your homework. I want to know if it’s at a table and if there are chairs around it and if mom’s cooking dinner while you’re doing homework.

The second night I asked them to talk to a grown-up about how are you going to be able to get your homework done during the week. The kids really enjoyed it. There’s a running joke that I’m teaching life skills.

Friday nights, I read all my kids’ responses to me on their homework from the week and it’s wonderful. They pour their hearts out. It’s like we’re having a conversation on my couch Friday night.

It matters to know that the teacher cares about you and that what you think matters to the teacher. Homework is a vehicle to connect home and school…for parents to know teachers are welcoming to them and their families.

Bempechat : I can’t imagine that most new teachers would have the intuition Erin had in designing homework the way she did.

Ardizzone : Conversations with kids about homework, feeling you’re being listened to—that’s such a big part of wanting to do homework….I grew up in Westchester County. It was a pretty demanding school district. My junior year English teacher—I loved her—she would give us feedback, have meetings with all of us. She’d say, “If you have any questions, if you have anything you want to talk about, you can talk to me, here are my office hours.” It felt like she actually cared.

Bempechat : It matters to know that the teacher cares about you and that what you think matters to the teacher. Homework is a vehicle to connect home and school…for parents to know teachers are welcoming to them and their families.

Ardizzone : But can’t it lead to parents being overbearing and too involved in their children’s lives as students?

Bempechat : There’s good help and there’s bad help. The bad help is what you’re describing—when parents hover inappropriately, when they micromanage, when they see their children confused and struggling and tell them what to do.

Good help is when parents recognize there’s a struggle going on and instead ask informative questions: “Where do you think you went wrong?” They give hints, or pointers, rather than saying, “You missed this,” or “You didn’t read that.”

Bruce : I hope something comes of this. I hope BU or Wheelock can think of some way to make this a more pressing issue. As a first-year teacher, it was not something I even thought about on the first day of school—until a kid raised his hand and said, “Do we have homework?” It would have been wonderful if I’d had a plan from day one.

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Sara Rimer A journalist for more than three decades, Sara Rimer worked at the Miami Herald , Washington Post and, for 26 years, the New York Times , where she was the New England bureau chief, and a national reporter covering education, aging, immigration, and other social justice issues. Her stories on the death penalty’s inequities were nominated for a Pulitzer Prize and cited in the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision outlawing the execution of people with intellectual disabilities. Her journalism honors include Columbia University’s Meyer Berger award for in-depth human interest reporting. She holds a BA degree in American Studies from the University of Michigan. Profile

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Comments & Discussion

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There are 81 comments on Does Homework Really Help Students Learn?

Insightful! The values about homework in elementary schools are well aligned with my intuition as a parent.

when i finish my work i do my homework and i sometimes forget what to do because i did not get enough sleep

same omg it does not help me it is stressful and if I have it in more than one class I hate it.

Same I think my parent wants to help me but, she doesn’t care if I get bad grades so I just try my best and my grades are great.

I think that last question about Good help from parents is not know to all parents, we do as our parents did or how we best think it can be done, so maybe coaching parents or giving them resources on how to help with homework would be very beneficial for the parent on how to help and for the teacher to have consistency and improve homework results, and of course for the child. I do see how homework helps reaffirm the knowledge obtained in the classroom, I also have the ability to see progress and it is a time I share with my kids

The answer to the headline question is a no-brainer – a more pressing problem is why there is a difference in how students from different cultures succeed. Perfect example is the student population at BU – why is there a majority population of Asian students and only about 3% black students at BU? In fact at some universities there are law suits by Asians to stop discrimination and quotas against admitting Asian students because the real truth is that as a group they are demonstrating better qualifications for admittance, while at the same time there are quotas and reduced requirements for black students to boost their portion of the student population because as a group they do more poorly in meeting admissions standards – and it is not about the Benjamins. The real problem is that in our PC society no one has the gazuntas to explore this issue as it may reveal that all people are not created equal after all. Or is it just environmental cultural differences??????

I get you have a concern about the issue but that is not even what the point of this article is about. If you have an issue please take this to the site we have and only post your opinion about the actual topic

This is not at all what the article is talking about.

This literally has nothing to do with the article brought up. You should really take your opinions somewhere else before you speak about something that doesn’t make sense.

we have the same name

so they have the same name what of it?

lol you tell her

totally agree

What does that have to do with homework, that is not what the article talks about AT ALL.

Yes, I think homework plays an important role in the development of student life. Through homework, students have to face challenges on a daily basis and they try to solve them quickly.I am an intense online tutor at 24x7homeworkhelp and I give homework to my students at that level in which they handle it easily.

More than two-thirds of students said they used alcohol and drugs, primarily marijuana, to cope with stress.

You know what’s funny? I got this assignment to write an argument for homework about homework and this article was really helpful and understandable, and I also agree with this article’s point of view.

I also got the same task as you! I was looking for some good resources and I found this! I really found this article useful and easy to understand, just like you! ^^

i think that homework is the best thing that a child can have on the school because it help them with their thinking and memory.

I am a child myself and i think homework is a terrific pass time because i can’t play video games during the week. It also helps me set goals.

Homework is not harmful ,but it will if there is too much

I feel like, from a minors point of view that we shouldn’t get homework. Not only is the homework stressful, but it takes us away from relaxing and being social. For example, me and my friends was supposed to hang at the mall last week but we had to postpone it since we all had some sort of work to do. Our minds shouldn’t be focused on finishing an assignment that in realty, doesn’t matter. I completely understand that we should have homework. I have to write a paper on the unimportance of homework so thanks.

homework isn’t that bad

Are you a student? if not then i don’t really think you know how much and how severe todays homework really is

i am a student and i do not enjoy homework because i practice my sport 4 out of the five days we have school for 4 hours and that’s not even counting the commute time or the fact i still have to shower and eat dinner when i get home. its draining!

i totally agree with you. these people are such boomers

why just why

they do make a really good point, i think that there should be a limit though. hours and hours of homework can be really stressful, and the extra work isn’t making a difference to our learning, but i do believe homework should be optional and extra credit. that would make it for students to not have the leaning stress of a assignment and if you have a low grade you you can catch up.

Studies show that homework improves student achievement in terms of improved grades, test results, and the likelihood to attend college. Research published in the High School Journal indicates that students who spent between 31 and 90 minutes each day on homework “scored about 40 points higher on the SAT-Mathematics subtest than their peers, who reported spending no time on homework each day, on average.” On both standardized tests and grades, students in classes that were assigned homework outperformed 69% of students who didn’t have homework. A majority of studies on homework’s impact – 64% in one meta-study and 72% in another – showed that take home assignments were effective at improving academic achievement. Research by the Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA) concluded that increased homework led to better GPAs and higher probability of college attendance for high school boys. In fact, boys who attended college did more than three hours of additional homework per week in high school.

So how are your measuring student achievement? That’s the real question. The argument that doing homework is simply a tool for teaching responsibility isn’t enough for me. We can teach responsibility in a number of ways. Also the poor argument that parents don’t need to help with homework, and that students can do it on their own, is wishful thinking at best. It completely ignores neurodiverse students. Students in poverty aren’t magically going to find a space to do homework, a friend’s or siblings to help them do it, and snacks to eat. I feel like the author of this piece has never set foot in a classroom of students.

THIS. This article is pathetic coming from a university. So intellectually dishonest, refusing to address the havoc of capitalism and poverty plays on academic success in life. How can they in one sentence use poor kids in an argument and never once address that poor children have access to damn near 0 of the resources affluent kids have? Draw me a picture and let’s talk about feelings lmao what a joke is that gonna put food in their belly so they can have the calories to burn in order to use their brain to study? What about quiet their 7 other siblings that they share a single bedroom with for hours? Is it gonna force the single mom to magically be at home and at work at the same time to cook food while you study and be there to throw an encouraging word?

Also the “parents don’t need to be a parent and be able to guide their kid at all academically they just need to exist in the next room” is wild. Its one thing if a parent straight up is not equipped but to say kids can just figured it out is…. wow coming from an educator What’s next the teacher doesn’t need to teach cause the kid can just follow the packet and figure it out?

Well then get a tutor right? Oh wait you are poor only affluent kids can afford a tutor for their hours of homework a day were they on average have none of the worries a poor child does. Does this address that poor children are more likely to also suffer abuse and mental illness? Like mentioned what about kids that can’t learn or comprehend the forced standardized way? Just let em fail? These children regularly are not in “special education”(some of those are a joke in their own and full of neglect and abuse) programs cause most aren’t even acknowledged as having disabilities or disorders.

But yes all and all those pesky poor kids just aren’t being worked hard enough lol pretty sure poor children’s existence just in childhood is more work, stress, and responsibility alone than an affluent child’s entire life cycle. Love they never once talked about the quality of education in the classroom being so bad between the poor and affluent it can qualify as segregation, just basically blamed poor people for being lazy, good job capitalism for failing us once again!

why the hell?

you should feel bad for saying this, this article can be helpful for people who has to write a essay about it

This is more of a political rant than it is about homework

I know a teacher who has told his students their homework is to find something they are interested in, pursue it and then come share what they learn. The student responses are quite compelling. One girl taught herself German so she could talk to her grandfather. One boy did a research project on Nelson Mandela because the teacher had mentioned him in class. Another boy, a both on the autism spectrum, fixed his family’s computer. The list goes on. This is fourth grade. I think students are highly motivated to learn, when we step aside and encourage them.

The whole point of homework is to give the students a chance to use the material that they have been presented with in class. If they never have the opportunity to use that information, and discover that it is actually useful, it will be in one ear and out the other. As a science teacher, it is critical that the students are challenged to use the material they have been presented with, which gives them the opportunity to actually think about it rather than regurgitate “facts”. Well designed homework forces the student to think conceptually, as opposed to regurgitation, which is never a pretty sight

Wonderful discussion. and yes, homework helps in learning and building skills in students.

not true it just causes kids to stress

Homework can be both beneficial and unuseful, if you will. There are students who are gifted in all subjects in school and ones with disabilities. Why should the students who are gifted get the lucky break, whereas the people who have disabilities suffer? The people who were born with this “gift” go through school with ease whereas people with disabilities struggle with the work given to them. I speak from experience because I am one of those students: the ones with disabilities. Homework doesn’t benefit “us”, it only tears us down and put us in an abyss of confusion and stress and hopelessness because we can’t learn as fast as others. Or we can’t handle the amount of work given whereas the gifted students go through it with ease. It just brings us down and makes us feel lost; because no mater what, it feels like we are destined to fail. It feels like we weren’t “cut out” for success.

homework does help

here is the thing though, if a child is shoved in the face with a whole ton of homework that isn’t really even considered homework it is assignments, it’s not helpful. the teacher should make homework more of a fun learning experience rather than something that is dreaded

This article was wonderful, I am going to ask my teachers about extra, or at all giving homework.

I agree. Especially when you have homework before an exam. Which is distasteful as you’ll need that time to study. It doesn’t make any sense, nor does us doing homework really matters as It’s just facts thrown at us.

Homework is too severe and is just too much for students, schools need to decrease the amount of homework. When teachers assign homework they forget that the students have other classes that give them the same amount of homework each day. Students need to work on social skills and life skills.

I disagree.

Beyond achievement, proponents of homework argue that it can have many other beneficial effects. They claim it can help students develop good study habits so they are ready to grow as their cognitive capacities mature. It can help students recognize that learning can occur at home as well as at school. Homework can foster independent learning and responsible character traits. And it can give parents an opportunity to see what’s going on at school and let them express positive attitudes toward achievement.

Homework is helpful because homework helps us by teaching us how to learn a specific topic.

As a student myself, I can say that I have almost never gotten the full 9 hours of recommended sleep time, because of homework. (Now I’m writing an essay on it in the middle of the night D=)

I am a 10 year old kid doing a report about “Is homework good or bad” for homework before i was going to do homework is bad but the sources from this site changed my mind!

Homeowkr is god for stusenrs

I agree with hunter because homework can be so stressful especially with this whole covid thing no one has time for homework and every one just wants to get back to there normal lives it is especially stressful when you go on a 2 week vaca 3 weeks into the new school year and and then less then a week after you come back from the vaca you are out for over a month because of covid and you have no way to get the assignment done and turned in

As great as homework is said to be in the is article, I feel like the viewpoint of the students was left out. Every where I go on the internet researching about this topic it almost always has interviews from teachers, professors, and the like. However isn’t that a little biased? Of course teachers are going to be for homework, they’re not the ones that have to stay up past midnight completing the homework from not just one class, but all of them. I just feel like this site is one-sided and you should include what the students of today think of spending four hours every night completing 6-8 classes worth of work.

Are we talking about homework or practice? Those are two very different things and can result in different outcomes.

Homework is a graded assignment. I do not know of research showing the benefits of graded assignments going home.

Practice; however, can be extremely beneficial, especially if there is some sort of feedback (not a grade but feedback). That feedback can come from the teacher, another student or even an automated grading program.

As a former band director, I assigned daily practice. I never once thought it would be appropriate for me to require the students to turn in a recording of their practice for me to grade. Instead, I had in-class assignments/assessments that were graded and directly related to the practice assigned.

I would really like to read articles on “homework” that truly distinguish between the two.

oof i feel bad good luck!

thank you guys for the artical because I have to finish an assingment. yes i did cite it but just thanks

thx for the article guys.

Homework is good

I think homework is helpful AND harmful. Sometimes u can’t get sleep bc of homework but it helps u practice for school too so idk.

I agree with this Article. And does anyone know when this was published. I would like to know.

It was published FEb 19, 2019.

Studies have shown that homework improved student achievement in terms of improved grades, test results, and the likelihood to attend college.

i think homework can help kids but at the same time not help kids

This article is so out of touch with majority of homes it would be laughable if it wasn’t so incredibly sad.

There is no value to homework all it does is add stress to already stressed homes. Parents or adults magically having the time or energy to shepherd kids through homework is dome sort of 1950’s fantasy.

What lala land do these teachers live in?

Homework gives noting to the kid

Homework is Bad

homework is bad.

why do kids even have homework?

Comments are closed.

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10 Ways – How Does Homework Affect Student Social Life

Homework is a crucial part of a student’s academic life, but it can also significantly impact their social life. While homework helps students reinforce their learning and improve their academic performance, it can also create stress and take up valuable time spent socializing with friends and family.

This can lead to decreased motivation, decreased sense of well-being, and even burnout, especially if the amount of homework becomes excessive. It is crucial for students, parents, and educators to understand the potential impact of homework on a student’s social life and to find a balance that supports both academic and social development.

When students are asked to do Homework, they are often urged to “do what you love.” However, doing Homework has been shown to affect students’ social life negatively.

Table of Contents

What is “homework”?

Homework is an educational task assigned to students by their teachers outside the class. Thus it does not include activities during teaching time, such as reading and writing assignments and reading for class.

Homework can be a valuable source of information for students and teachers, as it provides information about what happens in the classroom and other influences on student learning.

It can be a powerful tool for understanding students’ context, personalities, and preferences associated with their academic performance. Homework provides teachers with an opportunity to evaluate the effectiveness of their instruction.

10 ways how Homework affects students social life

1. students have less time for social activities.

Homework is often a burden for students as they spend less time on their free time activities and spending time with their friends. Regular homework assignments can take students out of the academy or to regions they cannot usually reach.

Homework during vacation may affect students’ moods and ability to socialize with friends. Homework can also cause conflict with parents, who may be worried that their child is spending too much of their free time on Homework instead of on other things.

2. Students are more socially anxious

Homework increases the amount of anxiety in some students. Students often see Homework as a hurdle to overcome . Thus it can make them feel anxious about performing well on the tests they take at the end of the course. Students who have trouble with in-class assignments may feel stressed by the amount of homework they are assigned.

The high expectations that students must meet with their parents and teachers make them feel more pressure and stress when it comes to their studies.

3. Students have less time for sleep

Research on the effects of Homework on students, carried out in a sample of schoolchildren aged 11, found that those who spend more time on Homework are less likely to get the recommended 8 hours of sleep per night. Moreover,” students who do their homework at bedtime do not appear to be getting enough sleep.”

4. Students have less time for family and friends

Homework can make students less social, paying less attention to the needs of their families and friends. This can cause a dangerous situation as it prevents students from striking a balance between parental concerns and their needs.

Students” limited free time due to Homework takes them away from family and friends, which might affect relationships with parents and other family members.

5. Students have less time for entertainment

Homework is boring , and when it becomes a significant part of life, students may be less likely to spend time on other things they consider enjoyable. Homework can burden students as they are forced to spend too much time on it, which decreases their free time activities.

Furthermore, the weekly lesson can take away some of the fun from students’’ lives by taking up all their free time.

6. Students have less time for sleep

Homework requires a lot of effort and concentration. Thus it can be physically and mentally exhausting. Students may get too tired to do their Homework as it is a long period and frequently interrupts the students’’ sleep.

Therefore, insufficient rest causes students to lose some control over their lives. This is an issue in particular for heavy homeworkers (receiving more than two homework assignments per week)

7. Students have less time for learning

Homework causes students to have less time for doing fun things, and when it becomes a large part of their lives, it may negatively affect their learning as Homework is often tedious and not as effective as class work.

8. Students have less time for exercise and other physical activities

Homework stresses students, making them too tired to go for a healthy meal or workout. It is not just mentally tiring but causes physical fatigue too.

9. Students may have less time for socializing

Homework interrupts students ‘’ social activities, which makes them feel disconnected from their classmates. To keep up with their Homework, many students avoid talking to their friends.

10. Students are more stressed out and less happy

Some research shows that it is very stressful for some students to have so much Homework and that too much Homework can even make children unhappy or unhappy. Some studies show that it may even contribute to the spread of depression among young people.

FAQ – How Does Homework Affect Social Life

Is homework beneficial for students.

Homework is beneficial for students as it increases their knowledge. Students can always receive education, even when they are not at school. Moreover, there is evidence that practicing problems and taking tests while learning positively affects students’’ performance in later exams.

How Much Homework Should Be Assigned?

Students must learn to do their homework when they cannot do it alone. Therefore, the number of assignments given to students should not be too much, as it may cause problems and distress for some students.

Will Homework Benefit Students In The Future?

Homework can be of great value even to adults. Adults who practice problem-solving can be highly productive and gain confidence in their efforts. However, due to lack of time, many people do not have enough time to do all their homework on time, which may affect their future success.

Will Homework Overload Students?

Homework overload is possible for some students. Homework has many disadvantages for some students, like a lack of time for family and friends and not getting enough sleep.

It can cause them to have issues in their social life or problems in their academic performance. Consequently, it may improve the well-being of these students if their parents help them reduce the amount of Homework they receive. There should be no more than three assignments a week in such cases.

Is Homework Helpful?

Yes, Homework can benefit students and help them improve their grades. Homework also motivates students to work because they feel they are doing something important.

What Is The Best Way To Reduce The Amount Of Homework?

The best way is to balance homework and other aspects of student life. This means that kids need enough time to study but spend enough time with friends and family. Parents should clarify that they will not help their students with Homework.

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Homework or Personal Lives?

Many students get home and the first thing they do is homework. They’re pressured by their parents to do their homework while simultaneously being encouraged to spend time with family, eat, spend time with friends, go outside, participate in sports or other extracurricular activities, and sleep for 7+ hours. Rather than motivating students to master material and learn efficiently, homework negatively impacts students by taking away from personal time that is necessary for them to lead balanced lives.

In an article published by The Washington Post by Gerald K LeTendre, a professor of education in education policy studies at Penn State, states that, “Worldwide, homework is not associated with high national levels of academic achievement.” This means that there is no direct correlation between homework and test grades, and very few studies have been able to prove this, and the ones that have were more of a reach. At Science Leadership Academy in Philadelphia,  16 out of 19 of the students in Fire Stream agreed that homework adds extra stress onto them or takes time away from other things that they’re encouraged to do, such as sports, extra classes, extracurricular activities, family time, etc. This means that just over 84% of students in Fire Stream have agreed that homework is added stress and takes time away from things that they’re encouraged to do outside of school. Many students participate in these activities because they’re passionate about them and it makes them happy. Sports and exercise is proven to relieve stress, homework adds stress and if time for this stress reliever is taken away that just means more stress, this can cause more problems in many aspects of their lives.

In an article written by CNN about how homework has been banned in some cities and not others, “What is clear is that parents and kids don't live in the world of academic research; they live in the real world where there are piles of homework on the kitchen table.” Meaning that students don’t have the luxury of just easily saying that homework helps their academic performance or not, and they don’t have the luxury of just not doing homework. That is especially true to highschool students who have to regularly chose between sleep and doing work, especially when they get homework from every class every night and homework can be up to 30% of their grade. Students in every grade get piles of homework and a lot of the time they don’t have resources on hand to see if they’re right or to get help, meaning they might do it wrong and not learn anything at all.  Even if students do try and do their homework it might take a while, according to Nationwide Children’s Hospital adolescents should be getting 9 to 9 ½ hours of sleep per night. Due to homework and trying to fit other after school activities in many adolescents don’t get the necessary amount of sleep. Sleep deprivation in teens has many negative effects such as mood changes, being more inclined to engage in risky behavior such as driving fast, drinking, etc, doing worse in school, and declined cognitive abilities.

In an article published by the New York Times, a mother explained how… , “The stress homework places on families starts early.” The article also talks about how homework takes away from family time and family activities. The author also says that her kids “are fighting not just over the homework, but also over their share of my coveted attention and my unique ability to download and print images.” This shows how homework adds extra pressure and can cause tension in families. It takes away from family time and causes more stress on students and parents. It’s almost as if once children start school and the homework starts that it never stops, and that more family time is taken away while more stress is added.

In a study concluded in 2003 by Dr. Harris Cooper he tries to argue that homework has a positive effect on students, but his studies also found no direct correlation between increased homework for students and improved test scores. Cooper himself said that “The analysis also showed that too much homework can be counter-productive for students at all levels.” Meaning that excessive amounts of homework can cause negative effects on students, but who is judging what excessive amounts of homework means? He talks about the “10 minute rule” meaning that every grade that a student increases they should get 10 more minutes of homework, meaning that a second grader should get 20 minutes, and a twelfth grader should get around 2 hours of homework. That would seem ideal, but in most high school settings teachers don’t interact with each other to see how much homework each of them give to equal it out to around 2 hours. This means that one class’s homework could take a student 2 hours alone and that would be what the ideal amount of homework is, so if it takes 2 hours for one class’s homework then how are students supposed to have positive benefits from doing all of their homework? Cooper’s research was also limited because very little research was done to see if student’s race, socioeconomic status, or even their ability levels has an affect on how much homework is “good” for said age range. This means that other aspects than just that they’re students in a certain grade weren’t taken into consideration. These things could cause major changes to the data that was collected.

Rather than encouraging students to master material and learn efficiently, homework negatively impacts students and families by causing more stress and taking away from family time. This is a problem not just for the overworked students, but also for students who have more complex personal lives. Many students work or have family obligations that they have to deal with, but don’t necessarily feel comfortable talking to a teacher about them. Although teachers might not think that the amount of homework that they give matters much,its influence goes beyond giving students work to do at home to how they interact in other important personal aspects of their life.

Works Cited:

LeTendre, Gerald K. “Homework Could Have an Effect on Kids’ Health. Should Schools Ban It?” The Washington Post , WP Company, 2 Sept. 2015, www.washingtonpost.com/posteverything/wp/2015/09/02/homework-could-have-an-effect-on-kids-health-should-schools-ban-it/?utm_term=.3ed6d0fa2c72.

Kralovec, Etta. “Should Schools Ban Homework?” CNN , Cable News Network, 5 Sept. 2014, www.cnn.com/2014/09/05/opinion/kralovec-ban-homework/index.html.

Dell'Antonia, Kj. “Homework's Emotional Toll on Students and Families.” The New York Times , The New York Times, 12 Mar. 2014, parenting.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/03/12/homeworks-emotional-toll-on-students-and-families/.

“Duke Study: Homework Helps Students Succeed in School, As Long as There Isn't Too Much.” Duke Today , Duke Today, 7 Mar. 2006, today.duke.edu/2006/03/homework.html.

“Sleep in Adolescents (13-18 Years).” Sleep in Adolescents :: Nationwide Children's Hospital , www.nationwidechildrens.org/sleep-in-adolescents

Comments (1)

A question that I have after reading this is in what other ways can we as students improve our learning without homework?

This 2fer has changed my opinion about how much homework affects a student's life in a bad way more than a good way.

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Is Homework Necessary? Education Inequity and Its Impact on Students

The Problem with Homework: It Highlights Inequalities

How much homework is too much homework, when does homework actually help, negative effects of homework for students, how teachers can help.

Schools are getting rid of homework from Essex, Mass., to Los Angeles, Calif. Although the no-homework trend may sound alarming, especially to parents dreaming of their child’s acceptance to Harvard, Stanford or Yale, there is mounting evidence that eliminating homework in grade school may actually have great benefits , especially with regard to educational equity.

In fact, while the push to eliminate homework may come as a surprise to many adults, the debate is not new . Parents and educators have been talking about this subject for the last century, so that the educational pendulum continues to swing back and forth between the need for homework and the need to eliminate homework.

One of the most pressing talking points around homework is how it disproportionately affects students from less affluent families. The American Psychological Association (APA) explained:

“Kids from wealthier homes are more likely to have resources such as computers, internet connections, dedicated areas to do schoolwork and parents who tend to be more educated and more available to help them with tricky assignments. Kids from disadvantaged homes are more likely to work at afterschool jobs, or to be home without supervision in the evenings while their parents work multiple jobs.”

[RELATED] How to Advance Your Career: A Guide for Educators >> 

While students growing up in more affluent areas are likely playing sports, participating in other recreational activities after school, or receiving additional tutoring, children in disadvantaged areas are more likely headed to work after school, taking care of siblings while their parents work or dealing with an unstable home life. Adding homework into the mix is one more thing to deal with — and if the student is struggling, the task of completing homework can be too much to consider at the end of an already long school day.

While all students may groan at the mention of homework, it may be more than just a nuisance for poor and disadvantaged children, instead becoming another burden to carry and contend with.

Beyond the logistical issues, homework can negatively impact physical health and stress — and once again this may be a more significant problem among economically disadvantaged youth who typically already have a higher stress level than peers from more financially stable families .

Yet, today, it is not just the disadvantaged who suffer from the stressors that homework inflicts. A 2014 CNN article, “Is Homework Making Your Child Sick?” , covered the issue of extreme pressure placed on children of the affluent. The article looked at the results of a study surveying more than 4,300 students from 10 high-performing public and private high schools in upper-middle-class California communities.

“Their findings were troubling: Research showed that excessive homework is associated with high stress levels, physical health problems and lack of balance in children’s lives; 56% of the students in the study cited homework as a primary stressor in their lives,” according to the CNN story. “That children growing up in poverty are at-risk for a number of ailments is both intuitive and well-supported by research. More difficult to believe is the growing consensus that children on the other end of the spectrum, children raised in affluence, may also be at risk.”

When it comes to health and stress it is clear that excessive homework, for children at both ends of the spectrum, can be damaging. Which begs the question, how much homework is too much?

The National Education Association and the National Parent Teacher Association recommend that students spend 10 minutes per grade level per night on homework . That means that first graders should spend 10 minutes on homework, second graders 20 minutes and so on. But a study published by The American Journal of Family Therapy found that students are getting much more than that.

While 10 minutes per day doesn’t sound like much, that quickly adds up to an hour per night by sixth grade. The National Center for Education Statistics found that high school students get an average of 6.8 hours of homework per week, a figure that is much too high according to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). It is also to be noted that this figure does not take into consideration the needs of underprivileged student populations.

In a study conducted by the OECD it was found that “after around four hours of homework per week, the additional time invested in homework has a negligible impact on performance .” That means that by asking our children to put in an hour or more per day of dedicated homework time, we are not only not helping them, but — according to the aforementioned studies — we are hurting them, both physically and emotionally.

What’s more is that homework is, as the name implies, to be completed at home, after a full day of learning that is typically six to seven hours long with breaks and lunch included. However, a study by the APA on how people develop expertise found that elite musicians, scientists and athletes do their most productive work for about only four hours per day. Similarly, companies like Tower Paddle Boards are experimenting with a five-hour workday, under the assumption that people are not able to be truly productive for much longer than that. CEO Stephan Aarstol told CNBC that he believes most Americans only get about two to three hours of work done in an eight-hour day.

In the scope of world history, homework is a fairly new construct in the U.S. Students of all ages have been receiving work to complete at home for centuries, but it was educational reformer Horace Mann who first brought the concept to America from Prussia. 

Since then, homework’s popularity has ebbed and flowed in the court of public opinion. In the 1930s, it was considered child labor (as, ironically, it compromised children’s ability to do chores at home). Then, in the 1950s, implementing mandatory homework was hailed as a way to ensure America’s youth were always one step ahead of Soviet children during the Cold War. Homework was formally mandated as a tool for boosting educational quality in 1986 by the U.S. Department of Education, and has remained in common practice ever since.  

School work assigned and completed outside of school hours is not without its benefits. Numerous studies have shown that regular homework has a hand in improving student performance and connecting students to their learning. When reviewing these studies, take them with a grain of salt; there are strong arguments for both sides, and only you will know which solution is best for your students or school. 

Homework improves student achievement.

• Source: The High School Journal, “ When is Homework Worth the Time?: Evaluating the Association between Homework and Achievement in High School Science and Math ,” 2012. 
• Source: IZA.org, “ Does High School Homework Increase Academic Achievement? ,” 2014. **Note: Study sample comprised only high school boys. 

Homework helps reinforce classroom learning.

• Source: “ Debunk This: People Remember 10 Percent of What They Read ,” 2015.

Homework helps students develop good study habits and life skills.

• Sources: The Repository @ St. Cloud State, “ Types of Homework and Their Effect on Student Achievement ,” 2017; Journal of Advanced Academics, “ Developing Self-Regulation Skills: The Important Role of Homework ,” 2011.
• Source: Journal of Advanced Academics, “ Developing Self-Regulation Skills: The Important Role of Homework ,” 2011.

Homework allows parents to be involved with their children’s learning.

• Parents can see what their children are learning and working on in school every day. 
• Parents can participate in their children’s learning by guiding them through homework assignments and reinforcing positive study and research habits.
• Homework observation and participation can help parents understand their children’s academic strengths and weaknesses, and even identify possible learning difficulties.
• Source: Phys.org, “ Sociologist Upends Notions about Parental Help with Homework ,” 2018.

While some amount of homework may help students connect to their learning and enhance their in-class performance, too much homework can have damaging effects. 

Students with too much homework have elevated stress levels. 

• Source: USA Today, “ Is It Time to Get Rid of Homework? Mental Health Experts Weigh In ,” 2021.
• Source: Stanford University, “ Stanford Research Shows Pitfalls of Homework ,” 2014.

Students with too much homework may be tempted to cheat. 

• Source: The Chronicle of Higher Education, “ High-Tech Cheating Abounds, and Professors Bear Some Blame ,” 2010.
• Source: The American Journal of Family Therapy, “ Homework and Family Stress: With Consideration of Parents’ Self Confidence, Educational Level, and Cultural Background ,” 2015.

Homework highlights digital inequity. 

• Sources: NEAToday.org, “ The Homework Gap: The ‘Cruelest Part of the Digital Divide’ ,” 2016; CNET.com, “ The Digital Divide Has Left Millions of School Kids Behind ,” 2021.
• Source: Investopedia, “ Digital Divide ,” 2022; International Journal of Education and Social Science, “ Getting the Homework Done: Social Class and Parents’ Relationship to Homework ,” 2015.
• Source: World Economic Forum, “ COVID-19 exposed the digital divide. Here’s how we can close it ,” 2021.

Homework does not help younger students.

• Source: Review of Educational Research, “ Does Homework Improve Academic Achievement? A Synthesis of Researcher, 1987-2003 ,” 2006.

To help students find the right balance and succeed, teachers and educators must start the homework conversation, both internally at their school and with parents. But in order to successfully advocate on behalf of students, teachers must be well educated on the subject, fully understanding the research and the outcomes that can be achieved by eliminating or reducing the homework burden. There is a plethora of research and writing on the subject for those interested in self-study.

For teachers looking for a more in-depth approach or for educators with a keen interest in educational equity, formal education may be the best route. If this latter option sounds appealing, there are now many reputable schools offering online master of education degree programs to help educators balance the demands of work and family life while furthering their education in the quest to help others.

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Motherlode | homework’s emotional toll on students and families, homework’s emotional toll on students and families.

When your children arrive home from school this evening, what will be your first point of conflict? How’s this for an educated guess? Homework.

Do they have any? How much? When are they going to do it? Can they get it done before practice/rehearsal/dinner? After? When is it due? When did they start it? Even parents who are wholly hands off about the homework itself still need information about how much, when and how long if there are any family plans in the offing — because, especially for high school students in high-performing schools, homework has become the single dominating force in their nonschool lives.

Researchers asked 4,317 students from 10 high-performing high schools in upper-middle-class California communities to describe the impact of homework on their lives, and the results offer a bleak picture that many of us can see reflected around our dining room tables. The students reported averaging 3.1 hours of homework nightly, and they added comments like: “There’s never a break. Never.”

It “takes me away from everything I used to do,” says one.

Lack of sleep and lack of time were a theme, said the researcher Denise Clark Pope, a senior lecturer at the Stanford Graduate School of Education and a co-author of the study, which will be published in The Journal of Experimental Education. While the students didn’t report grieving for the children they were just a few months or years ago, they should have. There is something about that phrase — “everything I used to do” — that makes a parent take notice.

It’s not just the hours, Ms. Pope said. Students describe stress and sleep deprivation. “They feel out of control,” she said. “They often have no idea when a teacher will assign what. They can’t plan around Grandma’s birthday dinner, and it’s really not their fault.”

My students aren’t even in high school yet (my oldest is a seventh grader), and I’m not looking forward to the change. I don’t want them to give up “everything they used to do.” Already, homework struggles dominate many of our evenings. For some children at some ages (it has varied with mine), just getting them to sit down takes more time than the worksheets in their backpacks. For others, homework becomes an excellent place to enact a nightly dramatic rendition of “I Can’t Do It” (whether they can or not). The stress homework places on families starts early.

There are parenting strategies available to deal with those struggles, certainly — but when, and why, did our evenings at home become so dedicated to that particular interaction? I’m perpetually dismayed by how much of our evenings is consumed by schoolwork, and at the end of a particularly fraught night — for example, one when my two second graders each have a report on a South American animal due, and are fighting not just over the homework, but also over their share of my coveted attention and my unique ability to download and print images — I find myself wondering how our family life would be different without the flash point that homework so often becomes.

For the older students who participated in the research, homework was a family flash point of a different kind. Ms. Pope and her colleagues intentionally designed their research and wrote their paper to focus on the voices of the students and on their perspective about homework, arguing that it is the students’ experience that “influences how they do their homework, and consequently, how homework affects them.”

Much of the pressure they described feeling came from their parents, Ms. Pope said, and a sense that if they didn’t do the homework, they wouldn’t get the grades and they wouldn’t succeed. For those students (no matter what their parents might say about the same interactions), homework is affecting their relationship with their parents and how they feel about their family and their place in it.

To take my relationship with my children out from under homework’s shadow, I have pulled back (way back) on any involvement, and we have made an active choice as parents to let the work and any consequences for not doing it fall to their schools, not to us. That doesn’t work for all families. It also doesn’t help when the sheer number of hours a child is expected to spend at his books is destructive to family relationships because there is little or no time left to spend together, particularly once a sport or other activity enters the mix.

Ms. Pope suggests asking teachers and schools to provide homework packets that a student can spread out over a week, rather than springing large assignments due tomorrow that can derail family plans. Schools and teachers can also help by building in time for students to get started on homework and ask any questions they might have.

Looking at the larger picture, she said, things are changing. “These students are already averaging an hour more than what’s thought to be useful,” she said, and teachers, schools and parents are beginning to think harder about what kinds of homework, and how much of it, enhance learning and motivation without becoming all-consuming.

It might be easier than you think to start the conversation at your student’s school. “Load doesn’t equal rigor,” Ms. Pope said. “There are other developmental things students need to be doing after school, and other things they need to be learning.”

And if you are at the point where some of the pressure over homework might just be coming from you? “Don’t fall into the trap of parent peer pressure,” said Ms. Pope, a mother of three. “Nothing is permanent, and it’s up to you to remind your children that. We live in a country where you can drop out of high school and later community college and still ultimately get a Ph.D. from Stanford. At a certain point, it’s O.K. to get some sleep instead of studying for that test.”

And it’s really O.K. to go out to dinner for Grandma’s birthday. When do they assign the homework that teaches students that while work matters, family matters more?

Follow KJ Dell’Antonia on Twitter at @KJDellAntonia or find her on Facebook and Google+ .

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The effects of homework on students' social-emotional health

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Is it time to get rid of homework? Mental health experts weigh in.

It's no secret that kids hate homework. And as students grapple with an ongoing pandemic that has had a wide range of mental health impacts, is it time schools start listening to their pleas about workloads?

Some teachers are turning to social media to take a stand against homework. 

Tiktok user @misguided.teacher says he doesn't assign it because the "whole premise of homework is flawed."

For starters, he says, he can't grade work on "even playing fields" when students' home environments can be vastly different.

"Even students who go home to a peaceful house, do they really want to spend their time on busy work? Because typically that's what a lot of homework is, it's busy work," he says in the video that has garnered 1.6 million likes. "You only get one year to be 7, you only got one year to be 10, you only get one year to be 16, 18."

Mental health experts agree heavy workloads have the potential do more harm than good for students, especially when taking into account the impacts of the pandemic. But they also say the answer may not be to eliminate homework altogether.

Emmy Kang, mental health counselor at Humantold , says studies have shown heavy workloads can be "detrimental" for students and cause a "big impact on their mental, physical and emotional health."

"More than half of students say that homework is their primary source of stress, and we know what stress can do on our bodies," she says, adding that staying up late to finish assignments also leads to disrupted sleep and exhaustion.

Cynthia Catchings, a licensed clinical social worker and therapist at Talkspace , says heavy workloads can also cause serious mental health problems in the long run, like anxiety and depression. 

And for all the distress homework  can cause, it's not as useful as many may think, says Dr. Nicholas Kardaras, a psychologist and CEO of Omega Recovery treatment center.

"The research shows that there's really limited benefit of homework for elementary age students, that really the school work should be contained in the classroom," he says.

For older students, Kang says, homework benefits plateau at about two hours per night. 

"Most students, especially at these high achieving schools, they're doing a minimum of three hours, and it's taking away time from their friends, from their families, their extracurricular activities. And these are all very important things for a person's mental and emotional health."

Catchings, who also taught third to 12th graders for 12 years, says she's seen the positive effects of a no-homework policy while working with students abroad.

"Not having homework was something that I always admired from the French students (and) the French schools, because that was helping the students to really have the time off and really disconnect from school," she says.

The answer may not be to eliminate homework completely but to be more mindful of the type of work students take home, suggests Kang, who was a high school teacher for 10 years.

"I don't think (we) should scrap homework; I think we should scrap meaningless, purposeless busy work-type homework. That's something that needs to be scrapped entirely," she says, encouraging teachers to be thoughtful and consider the amount of time it would take for students to complete assignments.

The pandemic made the conversation around homework more crucial 

Mindfulness surrounding homework is especially important in the context of the past two years. Many students will be struggling with mental health issues that were brought on or worsened by the pandemic , making heavy workloads even harder to balance.

"COVID was just a disaster in terms of the lack of structure. Everything just deteriorated," Kardaras says, pointing to an increase in cognitive issues and decrease in attention spans among students. "School acts as an anchor for a lot of children, as a stabilizing force, and that disappeared."

But even if students transition back to the structure of in-person classes, Kardaras suspects students may still struggle after two school years of shifted schedules and disrupted sleeping habits.

"We've seen adults struggling to go back to in-person work environments from remote work environments. That effect is amplified with children because children have less resources to be able to cope with those transitions than adults do," he explains.

'Get organized' ahead of back-to-school

In order to make the transition back to in-person school easier, Kang encourages students to "get good sleep, exercise regularly (and) eat a healthy diet."

To help manage workloads, she suggests students "get organized."

"There's so much mental clutter up there when you're disorganized. ... Sitting down and planning out their study schedules can really help manage their time," she says.

Breaking up assignments can also make things easier to tackle.

"I know that heavy workloads can be stressful, but if you sit down and you break down that studying into smaller chunks, they're much more manageable."

If workloads are still too much, Kang encourages students to advocate for themselves.

"They should tell their teachers when a homework assignment just took too much time or if it was too difficult for them to do on their own," she says. "It's good to speak up and ask those questions. Respectfully, of course, because these are your teachers. But still, I think sometimes teachers themselves need this feedback from their students."

More: Some teachers let their students sleep in class. Here's what mental health experts say.

More: Some parents are slipping young kids in for the COVID-19 vaccine, but doctors discourage the move as 'risky'

• Health/Beauty
• Entertainment

How Does Homework Affect Social Life

There is nothing more controversial in the life of a student than homework. Even though it has become a staple of education, especially at the college and other higher education institutions and there is no opting out of performing some tasks at home if one considers developing in a narrow field.

The question is how to take the homework, whether it is a necessary evil to graduate or is it an opportunity of practicing professional skills that one would apply at the workplace without a gloom perspective of being fired because of a mistake. Why do some students genuinely like school and do not feel challenged over a 1k words essay or a group project, whereas others reject the very concept of homework and prefer to buy college essays online ?

How does homework affect social life? The answer to this question is manifold and touches upon students’ motivation, the tasks that the schools suggest for homework, and the effects on the social life that come along. However, learners are predominantly teenagers for whom the external factors often appear the decisive ones; therefore, the influence of homework on their social life may be considered a principal factor defining their attitude to it.

The first thing that needs to be mentioned is that there is a deep connection between social life and the amount of work one needs to perform at home. Typically, people with fewer responsibilities tend to devote their free time to building up their social circle and investing time in such things as hobbies, relationship, friendship, and so on. They get to sleep longer hours and hang out more frequently. However, at this point, it is critical to mention that none of the mentioned above things comes to a person without effort.

It is an illusion that relationship, friendship, or hobby does not require hard work when it is actually an additional activity of the hours to keep the thing running. To be more precise, the majority of people are wrongfully convinced that the best things in life come. Naturally, that is, there is no point in planning friendship as well as there is no sense in looking for a particular person for a romantic relationship…

But, surprisingly, constant drilling of rules and reading authentic articles are required to become a high-profile interpreter, for example. It is an obvious disbalance of personal values in contemporary society, which sets the ability to count money over the ability to love and show affection, be tolerant and understanding.

So here lies the answer to the question of how does homework affect social life. Particularly, homework at school has become a pressing issue, whereas the violence and bullying among teenagers are perceived as something natural if not a so-called ‘school of life.’ Thus, in the societies, with rigid requirements (top grades, higher education, marriage and children before 30 years old) to their youth to be regarded a success, the homework takes upon the role of the leverage for student’s social status.

To be more precise, one that does not fulfill their homework is labeled lazy and not reliable, not fitting for any significant and elaborated tasks. Stable performing of homework becomes an index of a student’s ability to prioritize their interests in favor of the society and its demand, even though in fact these things may not reflect the student’s personal goals.

From that perspective, it seems that there is no way for student’s attitude towards homework not serving as a basis for shaping their public image. Therefore, it is possible to say that homework affects social life by swaying student’s authority if not performed appropriately or facilitating it in the opposite case.

Notably, homework may influence but never defines the student’s standing in the society as it is never an adequate reflection of the student’s creative potential due to the highly adamant scope of the learning material schools should provide.

On the other hand, it is impossible to deny the profit from homework as a tool for assessing students’ performance and their understanding of the learning matters. Therefore, the effect of homework on the image of a student is inevitable. Consequently, there is a dilemma that lies at the intersection of morality and pedagogy.

If homework necessarily affects the social life of students, depriving them of the possibility to allocate enough time for play, sleep, or other activities that they find valuable, then it should at least try to bring in some positive aspects.

Whereas students lament over the lack of socialization and communication with peers as they have to work on countless projects, this very question was resolved by practicing group work. Students not only can choose their studying partners but the themes and deadlines for their projects, which should undoubtedly facilitate initiation of friendly ties, train communication skills and reduce the stress level in students.

Another way of using homework as an advantage is to perceive it as a professional practice. Performing homework on a daily basis plus caring for teacher’s requirements almost guarantees high scores at subjects, which are crucial to enter some college, university, or postgraduate program. Interestingly, in the USA “ Individuals with higher education levels earn more, pay more taxes, and are more likely than others to be employed and to have job benefits such as retirement and health insurance. Adults with more education are also more likely to move up the socioeconomic ladder and less likely to rely on public assistance ,” according to the College Board, a non-profit organization whose aim is to make the higher education more accessible for people of all social backgrounds (“ College Education Linked to Higher Pay, Job Security, Healthier Behaviors and More Civic Involvement: New College Board Report “, 2017).

Bearing that in mind, broader employment opportunities, higher salary, and social security are all indices of social living standards, and on a larger scale, homework may assist in acquiring those. However, when you are a kid or a teenager, it is hard to think in advance and especially to refuse such sweets of life as playing Nintendo with a friend or learning make up tips instead of the list of irregular verbs in German.

In the light of the mentioned above, homework has proved to be a challenging practice not only for students in terms of performing it on a daily basis throughout twelve years of studying but also for teachers and the whole education system.

In other words, homework is expected to be practically oriented and at the same time to secure children’s right for a high-quality, well-rounded education and human development at school. Technically, its primary function is to help teachers assess students’ academic performance, but it should never be perceived as enough ground for judging a student’s creative potential. The influence of the homework on social life is immense, starting with the time distribution and activity prioritizing and finishing with its contribution to a rise in social status.

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It's no secret that kids hate homework. And as students grapple with an ongoing pandemic that has had a wide-range of mental health impacts, is it time schools start listening to their pleas over workloads?

Some teachers are turning to social media to take a stand against homework .

Tiktok user @misguided.teacher says he doesn't assign it because the "whole premise of homework is flawed."

For starters, he says he can't grade work on "even playing fields" when students' home environments can be vastly different.

"Even students who go home to a peaceful house, do they really want to spend their time on busy work? Because typically that's what a lot of homework is, it's busy work," he says in the video that has garnered 1.6 million likes. "You only get one year to be 7, you only got one year to be 10, you only get one year to be 16, 18."

Mental health experts agree heavy work loads have the potential do more harm than good for students, especially when taking into account the impacts of the pandemic. But they also say the answer may not be to eliminate homework altogether.

Emmy Kang, mental health counselor at Humantold, says studies have shown heavy workloads can be "detrimental" for students and cause a "big impact on their mental, physical and emotional health."

"More than half of students say that homework is their primary source of stress, and we know what stress can do on our bodies," she says, adding that staying up late to finish assignments also leads to disrupted sleep and exhaustion.

Cynthia Catchings, a licensed clinical social worker and therapist at Talkspace, says heavy workloads can also cause serious mental health problems in the long run, like anxiety and depression.

And for all the distress homework causes, it's not as useful as many may think, says Dr. Nicholas Kardaras, a psychologist and CEO of Omega Recovery treatment center.

"The research shows that there's really limited benefit of homework for elementary age students, that really the school work should be contained in the classroom," he says.

For older students, Kang says homework benefits plateau at about two hours per night.

"Most students, especially at these high-achieving schools, they're doing a minimum of three hours, and it's taking away time from their friends from their families, their extracurricular activities. And these are all very important things for a person's mental and emotional health."

Catchings, who also taught third to 12th graders for 12 years, says she's seen the positive effects of a no homework policy while working with students abroad.

"Not having homework was something that I always admired from the French students (and) the French schools, because that was helping the students to really have the time off and really disconnect from school ," she says.

The answer may not be to eliminate homework completely, but to be more mindful of the type of work students go home with, suggests Kang, who was a high-school teacher for 10 years.

"I don't think (we) should scrap homework, I think we should scrap meaningless, purposeless busy work-type homework. That's something that needs to be scrapped entirely," she says, encouraging teachers to be thoughtful and consider the amount of time it would take for students to complete assignments.

The pandemic made the conversation around homework more crucial

Mindfulness surrounding homework is especially important in the context of the last two years. Many students will be struggling with mental health issues that were brought on or worsened by the pandemic, making heavy workloads even harder to balance.

"COVID was just a disaster in terms of the lack of structure. Everything just deteriorated," Kardaras says, pointing to an increase in cognitive issues and decrease in attention spans among students. "School acts as an anchor for a lot of children, as a stabilizing force, and that disappeared."

But even if students transition back to the structure of in-person classes, Kardaras suspects students may still struggle after two school years of shifted schedules and disrupted sleeping habits.

"We've seen adults struggling to go back to in-person work environments from remote work environments. That effect is amplified with children because children have less resources to be able to cope with those transitions than adults do," he explains.

'Get organized' ahead of back-to-school

In order to make the transition back to in-person school easier, Kang encourages students to "get good sleep, exercise regularly (and) eat a healthy diet."

To help manage workloads, she suggests students "get organized."

"There's so much mental clutter up there when you're disorganized... sitting down and planning out their study schedules can really help manage their time," she says.

Breaking assignments up can also make things easier to tackle.

"I know that heavy workloads can be stressful, but if you sit down and you break down that studying into smaller chunks, they're much more manageable."

If workloads are still too much, Kang encourages students to advocate for themselves.

"They should tell their teachers when a homework assignment just took too much time or if it was too difficult for them to do on their own," she says. "It's good to speak up and ask those questions. Respectfully, of course, because these are your teachers. But still, I think sometimes teachers themselves need this feedback from their students."

©2021 USA Today Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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Working while studying: how can I get my social life back?

University is supposed to be the time of your life, but at 20 years old I had forgotten what it was like to have a decent night out

Everyone thinks students spend their time partying and getting drunk. Not me: last semester, I spent every weekend stacking shelves.

It wasn’t really by choice. I was working weekend shifts in a supermarket to make ends meet. Before uni, I’d spent my A-levels trying to study in between shifts, at the same time as dealing with the distractions of being 18 and discovering alcohol.

Week after week, I was in the aisles, knowing my friends were out in bars or clubs while I was cleaning and closing up the shop. The lowest point was my best friend’s birthday: I’d spent a week trying to find cover for my Friday night shift (I was unsuccessful), and by the time I got out of work and into town I couldn’t find them. Just try phoning your friends to meet up after they’ve had a few – it’s impossible.

I thought it would get easier when I left school. But after starting as a journalism student last September, I found I was balancing even more commitments. My only time to do assignments was during the week, after a long day at college. I’d studied hard to get on to the course, and worked hard to keep my job. My main source of social interaction was the elderly regulars coming in to get their milk and bread.

Figures show I wasn’t the only one. A 2015 survey by NUS Services on behalf of Endsleigh found that 77% of students work to fund their studies, with 63% having a part-time job and a third working during the term. It also found that 14% of students held a full-time job during term, holidays or both. It’s a vicious cycle: student debt is piling up, yet many students aren’t attending classes because they have to work just to get by at university.

I started to worry that my job was affecting my personal life – never mind my studies – and even my mental health.

Systemic psychotherapist Prof Gerry Cunningham of Ulster University points out that working inevitably puts extra pressure on students. “People extend themselves – they pick up a full-time course, try to aim for a good grade, meet deadlines, seek employment, maybe even start a family. They work to their limit,” he says.

“Zero-hour contracts can be difficult for a student as they have less time to plan around. One night, they plan to sit for three hours doing an assignment but they get a call from work asking them to come in. Then, when the pressure of a course increases, it does get difficult for a student to balance things out.”

So how can students balance these pressures – and get a bit of their social life back?

“Get to know yourself,” Cunningham suggests. “Know what you can manage, know your situation and what you can take on. When you are experiencing high levels of stress, alert someone. The earlier, the better.”

The more I thought about it, the more I realised I had to make a decision: study, work or play? I wasn’t able to do all three.

I took the difficult decision to quit my job. Not everyone has this option, which makes me relatively lucky. But my lack of income means it still isn’t easy. I have to be more careful than ever with what I spend without my wages to fall back on. That said, I’m definitely happier now – and I think it’s because I’m less stressed.

I don’t have to worry about getting to work on time and I no longer have to panic over whether I’ll finish my assignments. My weekends are my own: I can socialise on the cheap, look for work experience, or just be lazy and stay in watching Friends.

But for some students, this simply isn’t an option. Michaela McCallion, who studies computer science and has a part-time job in a restaurant, says: “I just try to manage my time. I aim to get most of my university work done throughout the week and between shifts at work so I can have at least two days to socialise – although there are a lot of late nights due to assignment work and my job.

“My advice would be to not forget to take a break from both studying and working. You cannot focus on anything if you too are stressed out. Leave the room to relax, chat with friends, or even take a whole day off.”

The realities of student life have changed over recent years. Your time at university is meant to be the best of your life, we’re often told, and I’m doing my best to keep it that way. But financial pressures mean it’s far from carefree.

Keep up with the latest on Guardian Students: follow us on Twitter at @GdnStudents – and become a member to receive exclusive benefits and our weekly newsletter.

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• Smartphones, social...

Smartphones, social media, and teenage mental health

• Related content
• Peer review
• Greg Hartwell , clinical assistant professor 1 ,
• Maeve Gill , specialty registrar in public health 2 ,
• Marco Zenone , research associate 3 ,
• Martin McKee , professor of European public health 1
• 1 London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
• 2 Royal Free Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
• 3 Health Law Institute, University of Alberta, Canada
• Correspondence to: G Hartwell gregory.hartwell{at}lshtm.ac.uk

A precautionary public health response is needed

The tragic deaths of two UK teenagers continue to raise debate about the challenges that smartphones—and the unlimited access to social media they provide—may pose for adolescent mental health. 1 Molly Russell took her own life in 2017 aged 14 after being exposed on Instagram to what her father has described as a constant stream of “dark harmful material.” 1 Sixteen year old Brianna Ghey was murdered by two fellow pupils in 2023. Her mother believes that Brianna’s heavy mobile phone use increased her vulnerability before her death, and recently called for alerts on parents’ phones when their children use their own devices to search for violent material, as her daughter’s killers did. 1 2

This debate lies within broader concerns about the parlous state of adolescent mental health, with decreasing happiness reported among UK teenagers for a decade, alongside sharp increases in depression and anxiety, particularly among older girls. 3 4 These findings cannot easily be dismissed as artefact arising from changes to diagnostic criteria, reduced stigma, or greater willingness to seek help; they have coincided with marked rises in other measures such as teenage self-harm and suicidal behaviours, especially among teenage girls. 3 5

But can smartphones and social media be blamed? Population based data suggest a dose-response relationship between social media use and depressive symptoms in teenagers, especially girls. Systematic reviews report links to other harmful behaviours, 6 7 8 9 and heavy adolescent smartphone use has been associated with sleep deprivation and poorer socioemotional functioning. 9 10 Nonetheless, by age 12, smartphone ownership is near universal in the UK, and almost two thirds of 8-11 year olds already use social media. 11

Yet many macroeconomic, environmental, and social factors contribute to mental health at all ages. The relationships between social media, smartphones, and mental health are also vexed by a suite of potential confounders and questions of reverse causality. 12 13 Furthermore, young people are adept at harnessing technology’s power to make positive changes in their lives, connecting with peers across borders, mobilising youth movements, or advocating for social change. 14 15 Social media can facilitate engagement with health services, provide access to safe online spaces, and support help seeking in crises. 16

A precautionary response

So how should we protect children from harms linked to smartphones and social media, while maximising potential benefits? Three groups have roles to play: technology producers, parliamentarians who regulate them, and the public who use these products.

Firstly, the argument that social media firms simply provide a communication medium is wearing thin. The EU has launched various investigations into platforms’ addictiveness for young people, 17 while a US Senate committee recently condemned social media chief executives as having “blood on their hands,” 18 partly reflecting Meta’s research showing Instagram had toxic effects on girls. 19 Inevitably, these companies advocate self-regulation, yet we know this is ineffective. 20 21

Smartphones and social media should instead be seen as products to be regulated, like all commercial goods and services with potential to harm. 22 23 Restricting sales or advertising of cigarettes, vapes, alcoholic drinks, and gambling products is relatively uncontroversial, even though producers work to circumvent restrictions. Conversely, in the UK, the US, and elsewhere, social media access is permitted from age 13 across major platforms, a threshold with no health rationale, stemming instead from US legislation allowing collection of personal data from that age without parental consent. 24

Secondly, while parliamentarians must balance risks and benefits, the current UK government’s flagship Online Safety Act and Data Protection and Digital Information Bill have not allayed concerns. 2 25 Its non-statutory guidance recommending banning smartphones in schools also had a lukewarm reception 26 ; many schools already have such policies, and the guidance echoes a classic industry narrative emphasising individual responsibility, which shifts accountability for harm from policy makers or manufacturers to schools, parents, and pupils.

Thirdly, the public clearly have doubts about children and young people’s access to smartphones and social media, but parents also fear their children being excluded from online friendship groups and want to maintain contact for safety reasons. 11 Seeking to square this circle, an impromptu grassroots movement has recently grown across the UK calling on parents to collectively delay smartphone and social media uptake. 27 The UK’s children’s commissioner has voiced similar frustrations, while stressing the importance of involving young people themselves in shaping ways forward. 28

Debate will continue about exact associations between smartphones, social media, and mental health, 29 and further experimental research must be an urgent priority for funders and the academic community. But in the meantime, we must adopt the precautionary principle: measures to prevent harm should not be delayed where evidence is still contested. Health professionals and their organisations must act and advocate to ensure that smartphones and social media are framed clearly as commercial determinants of health; to guide advocacy efforts based on systematic syntheses of high quality evidence; and to amplify the voices of young people in research and policy. All will be critical if we are to facilitate technology’s potential positives while firmly safeguarding our young people’s mental health.

Competing interests: The BMJ has judged that there are no disqualifying financial ties to commercial companies. The authors declare the following other interests: MM is past president of the BMA. Further details of The BMJ policy on financial interests are here: https://www.bmj.com/sites/default/files/attachments/resources/2016/03/16-current-bmj-education-coi-form.pdf .

Provenance and peer review: Not commissioned; externally peer reviewed.

• ↵ Burns J, Crawford A. Brianna Ghey’s mother and Molly Russell’s father join forces to combat online harm. BBC News, 15 Feb 2024. https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-68309102
• ↵ Gillespie T. Brianna Ghey’s mum says mobile phones should be made specifically for children under 16 to protect them from online harms. Sky News, 15 Feb 2024. https://news.sky.com/story/brianna-gheys-mum-says-mobile-phones-should-be-made-specifically-for-children-under-16-to-protect-them-from-online-harms-13072291
• ↵ Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health. State of child health. 2020. https://stateofchildhealth.rcpch.ac.uk/
• ↵ Children’s Society. The good childhood report. 2023. https://www.childrenssociety.org.uk/good-childhood
• Cybulski L ,
• Ashcroft DM ,
• Zilanawala A ,
• Thomson RM ,
• Henery PM ,
• Henderson M ,
• Katikireddi SV
• Blanchard L ,
• Conway-Moore K ,
• Abi-Jaoude E ,
• Naylor KT ,
• Pignatiello A
• ↵ Sapien Labs. Age of first smartphone/tablet and mental wellbeing outcomes. 2023. https://sapienlabs.org/whats_new/study-out-from-sapien-labs-links-age-of-first-smartphone-to-mental-wellbeing/
• ↵ Ofcom. Children and parents: media use and attitudes. 2023. https://www.ofcom.org.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0027/255852/childrens-media-use-and-attitudes-report-2023.pdf
• McCarthy S ,
• Cordedda C ,
• Kenworthy N ,
• ↵ Rankin J. EU investigates Facebook owner Meta over child safety and mental health concerns. Guardian 2024 May 16. https://www.theguardian.com/technology/article/2024/may/16/eu-investigates-facebook-owner-meta-over-child-safety-and-mental-health-concerns
• ↵ Gibson K. Mark Zuckerberg accused of having “blood on his hands” in fiery Senate hearing on internet child safety. CBS News, 31 Jan 2024. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/mark-zuckerberg-meta-x-child-exploitation/
• ↵ Wells G, Horwitz J, Seetharaman D. Facebook knows Instagram is toxic for teen girls, company documents show. Wall Street Journal 2021 Sep 14. https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-facebook-files-11631713039
• Stuckler D ,
• Monteiro C ,
• Lancet NCD Action Group
• Freudenberg N
• ↵ Federal Trade Commission. Complying with COPPA: frequently asked questions. 2020. https://www.ftc.gov/business-guidance/resources/complying-coppa-frequently-asked-questions
• ↵ Zeffman H. Bereaved parents’ anger at “broken” online safety promise. BBC News, 15 Dec 2023. https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-67714572
• ↵ Department for Education. Mobile phones in schools. 2024. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/mobile-phones-in-schools
• ↵ Banfield-Nwachi M. ‘It went nuts’: thousands join UK parents calling for smartphone-free childhood. Guardian 2024 Feb 17. https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2024/feb/17/thousands-join-uk-parents-calling-for-smartphone-free-childhood
• ↵ BBC. Woman’s hour, 8 Feb 2024. https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m001w105
• ↵ Haidt J. Yes, social media really is a cause of the epidemic of teenage mental illness. After Babel, 2024. https://www.afterbabel.com/p/phone-based-childhood-cause-epidemic?utm_source=profile&utm_medium=reader2

Family Life

How Will Artificial Intelligence (AI) Affect Children?

By: Tiffany Munzer, MD, FAAP

Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly changing the way we work, play and communicate. While AI has potential to help solve complex problems, you've likely also heard serious concerns about it—and especially, the ways AI might change the lives of children and teens.

With so many viewpoints out there, how can you make sense of AI and its possible impact on your family? Let's start by looking at how AI works and what issues that parents and families may need to consider as the technology evolves.

What exactly is artificial intelligence? How does AI work?

AI is modeled on the human brain —how we gather facts, descriptions, comments, images and much more and make sense of it all to complete a specific task. The difference is that AI draws the input together, sorting it and making it immediately accessible to us. However, unlike human knowledge, it doesn’t have the ability to connect new information to all of our other life experiences.

AI technology has been in development since the mid-1950s. Thanks to recent breakthroughs, though, AI-driven tools are quickly becoming part of our everyday lives. For example, when you contact customer service, AI may help answer your questions. When you explore international news, the words you hear or read may be translated into your preferred language by AI. In your doctor's office, an AI speech recognition program may help the medical team take notes and update your chart.

On a larger scale, AI is used to study traffic safety and flow, for example, and analyze health risks in large populations.

What about the AI that some kids use to do their homework?

Generative AI is technology that creates content that in the past could come only from humans. For example, instead of sitting down to draft a report, a writer might use ChatGPT to come up with relevant facts and suggested wording. An artist might create what looks like an original photo or drawing by entering a short description into an AI-driven program.

It's easy to see why some kids use AI to help them with school assignments. They can find facts and search among millions of charts and images to learn more about a subject. AI also powers grammar programs that can check their work to fix writing errors. Schools have rules about how AI can be used for homework and writing, though, so it’s important to check with teachers. Teens also need to learn to be honest about when they used AI with assignments.

AI is all around us—and all about us

Even if your kids aren't using AI for portions of their schoolwork, they (and you) are coming in contact with AI every day. Your children, and your family as a whole, have a digital footprint . This may be made up of every online search, purchase, download or viewing and listening session you engage in. If you use an AI-driven smart speaker to answer questions about the weather, sports scores and more, you're feeding even more data into this collective footprint.

How are kids tapping into AI?

As child health experts at UNICEF have pointed out, kids around the world use AI almost daily. Most interactive toys, games and internet platforms made for children depend on AI technology. Even though AI is advancing faster than anyone expected, most nations have not considered how AI will affect the social and emotional well-being of children.

Much more research is needed, but early studies on AI and kids point to several concerns:

• Young children may share personal information with AI platforms . Studies show that little ones often chat with smart speakers , telling personal stories and disclosing details that grownups might consider private.
• They may assume AI platforms are a lot like people. One study found that kids between 3 and 6 years old believed that smart speakers had thoughts, feelings and social abilities. Only a few kids assumed the speakers were actually human. This could affect how kids learn to interact with others.
• They may trust AI more than they trust humans. Another study found that young children thought smart speakers were more reliable than people when it came to answering fact-based questions such as, "Who was the first U.S. president to drive a car?"
• Many teens use AI daily. Adolescents are big fans of generative AI that helps them write essays and reports and create images and video for social sharing (among hundreds of other possible uses). However, only 1 in 4 parents whose teens use AI are aware they're doing it, a recent poll shows.

What are the benefits of AI for kids and families?

There are many ways AI technology can help kids learn and grow.

• It's a valuable tool for learning. AI can be used to tailor lessons and learning experiences to the individual needs of young children and teens. It can help educators and parents find ways to enrich learning for kids of all abilities at different stages of growth and development. And while it's not a good substitute for live conversation, it can help children improve their language skills and even learn new languages.
• It can foster creativity. We live in a visual world, so kids need ways to express their ideas through photos, images, graphs and more. AI is not only valuable to budding artists, but also kids who want to create data displays, charts, simple cartoons and other visuals.
• It may motivate and engage kids in new ways . AI can be interactive and fun for kids, offering new ways to enjoy and explore their world. For some, this may be a life-changing experience that opens new doors, enhances school performance and helps prepare them for the challenges of adult life.

What are potential dangers of AI for our kids?

For all the promise they hold, AI platforms can also harm children and families.

• They can spread hate, bias and stereotypes . Because AI "learns" from everything it finds on the internet, AI platforms reflect the same prejudices that threaten to divide and alienate us. Extensive studies show that AI-generated content advances stereotypes and falsehoods. Adults must be ready to talk with kids about what they see online and how it might reinforce negative beliefs and actions.
• They can erode privacy. AI collects a huge amount of data about us, often without us knowing it. For example, one toy was found to record conversations among parents, kids and anyone else nearby, with the ability to transmit data from these conversations to third parties. It's hard to keep up with reports on toys and devices that could violate your family's privacy, but parents may want to avoid interactive toys that promise to "talk" with kids.
• They can flood kids with selling messages. AI follows us on the internet, making note of what we like and serving us more of the same. Your child's search history may make them the target of relentless ad campaigns you would prefer they not see.

They can be used for bullying and fraud. Generative AI can be used to create false or distorted images of your child or teen, or someone they know. One example: the fake nudes that have been used to attack and shame many teens. Deepfakes and voice cloning can be used to threaten kids into taking actions they ordinarily would never consider, like giving private information or sending money. (See " What Do Teens Need to Know About Sextortion and Online Predators .")

Are lawmakers taking action to protect us?

It's clear that AI is here to stay. But in the U.S., legislation hasn't kept pace with technological growth.

• The Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) protects kids 13 years and younger by restricting access and usage of personal information about them that can be found online. However, since its passage in the late 1990s, COPPA has been routinely violated by media companies, manufacturers and others. Further, it isn't clear whether ChatGPT and other generative platforms comply with COPPA regulations.
• The Kids Online Safety Act , first introduced in 2021 and still moving through Congress, would require social media platforms to protect the data of minor-aged children. However, this legislation doesn't address the data that web service providers, email services and educational institutions can gather about our kids.
• An executive order on AI may serve as a guideline for future laws, but regulations that spell out what organizations can and can't do with AI technology do not exist yet.

What can I do to safeguard my child from the risks of AI?

AI is a moving target, so you may find it hard to set healthy guidelines for your child or teen. Here are a few common-sense suggestions for you to consider. You can also share them with teachers, coaches, neighbors and community leaders who work with your child.

• Talk to your kids about AI. Tailor what you say to your child's age and level of understanding.
• You don't want to frighten a young child, but you can make them aware that the smart speaker in your kitchen is not the same as a trusted friend. Talk about the differences between people and digital assistants—or between live conversations with friends and family and chatting on social media. Draw examples from your own life so your child gains a sense of how you practice online safety.
• With teens, aim for an open discussion about privacy, bias, bullying and other online safety issues. Don't preach—and don't try to cover every aspect of AI all at once. Ask them for their opinions and keep an open mind. This can prompt discussions that will help you learn together.
• Teach older kids how to manage online privacy . Explain how they can manage cookies, clear browsing histories and block social media users or marketers whose messages they choose not to see. Emphasize that this is something all online users should know—and offer a few examples of how you protect your own privacy.
• Try AI together. Consider testing out an AI-driven app like ChatGPT or Facetune together with your kids. This can give you the chance to discuss how it works and point out any issues that concern you. Common Sense Media offers reviews that help you choose platforms to test-drive as a family.
• Encourage curiosity and critical thinking. Challenge your kids to look for signs of bias in online content. For example, you can make a game out of spotting things that seem real vs. those that appear to be fake. Ask kids where they think the information or images are coming from. Does the person, company or group sharing them have a goal in mind? What reasons do we have to trust (or distrust) the sender?
• Talk about plagiarism. In a time when anyone can cut and paste content and pass it off as their own, kids need to understand the concept of original work. Explain how they can use online information as a jumping-off point for their own thinking. Make sure they understand that copying or presenting the words, images and ideas of others without giving them credit is wrong (and often illegal). Continue the conversation as you kids grow.

The future of AI & protecting kids

We have a long way to go in realizing the benefits of AI while also protecting our kids from the risks it might pose. The guardrails we need should reflect the tremendous power of AI to shape our everyday lives.

Ongoing dialogue should bring families together with schools, health care providers, sports and arts organizations and other community organizations, so we can help kids benefit from AI while minimizing its potential harms.

More information

AAP Family Media Plan

Video: 5 Tips for Talking to Your Kids about Generative AI (Common Sense Media)

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‘Fitspiration’ Social Media Posts Affect Body Image. Here’s What to Do About It

A photograph of a thin spandex-clad influencer with perfect hair and chiseled biceps rolls through a young woman’s feed on a social media channel. She was not intending to see it but caught a glimpse. 

How bad could that be? “It’s worse than you might think,” said Lauren Stutts ’05 , associate professor of public health at Davidson College. “The images of thin, active women are tagged on Instagram as #fitspiration or #fitspo, which stands for fitness inspiration. In my first fitspiration study, we found participants who viewed fitspiration images had decreased body satisfaction and increased negative mood after exposure to the images.”

More than 72 million Instagram posts are tagged as #fitspo, she said: “They’re exposed to it constantly.” 

Students already face academic pressure and constant comparisons. The social media anxiety can push them in an unhealthy direction. 

Kimaya Gracias, who graduated from Davidson in May, co-authored a recent paper with Stutts. 

“Everyone has moments of difficulty with their body image,” she said, “especially in college, when you’re stressed.” 

Stutts’ portfolio of research, though, has focused on more than identifying the problem. She has some solutions. 

Kimaya Gracias ’24 presented research on the effects of fitness inspiration social media posts on body image among young women at the Verna Miller Case Research and Creative Works Symposium. 

It’s in My Feed 

Images long have wielded powerful influence, from an apocalyptic presidential campaign ad in 1964 to subliminal frames in The Exorcist to the Madison Avenue axiom: image sells the brand. 

Instagram is one of the most popular social media platforms among younger Americans. The Pew Research Center collected data showing 71% of 18-to-29-year-olds in the U.S. reported using it. More than half of those log on several times a day. 

Research, including by Stutts, has tied social media image consumption to body image concerns. Her previous research also has shown that more than 60% of women and more than half of men reported weight or shape concerns or disordered eating, or all of those, at the end of their first year of college. Disordered eating involves abnormal eating behaviors but is not a clinical diagnosis, like an eating disorder. 

The eye-popping part of the most recent paper published in the journal Eating Behaviors by Stutts and her students, Gracias and Isabella Pilot ’22, was the power of incidental exposure to images. They divided 234 female college students into three groups based on their self-reporting of fitspiration exposure: those who neither view nor post fitspiration, those who see it unintentionally, and those who intentionally view or post. 

Self-reported weight or shape concerns and disordered eating behaviors were worse among the two groups who viewed fitspiration compared to those who did not, but there was not a difference between those who sought out those images and those who unintentionally saw them. 

“Small, unintentional exposures,” Gracias said, “not just following a trend on Instagram, have a real impact.”

Prevention and Help

Stutts’ prior research, also co-authored with students, revealed some steps that can help counter, or at least minimize, the effect of fitspiration posts. 

One strategy is changing the content that an Instagram user sees. In her first study with student Emily Rounds ’21, they found viewing travel images increased body satisfaction and decreased negative mood. In her 2022 study with students Hannah Cha ’22 and Janina Mayers ’22, published in the journal Stigma and Health , they found body dissatisfaction and weight bias decreased among women who viewed posts on curvy fitspiration, which are images of active women of higher weight. So, seeking out travel images or images of active women with diverse body types, or both, may be beneficial. 

A second strategy is changing how an Instagram user interacts with the content. In a study Stutts published with Pilot, they had participants write briefly about values or traits that are important to them, such as relationships or empathy, before or after they viewed fitspiration. Their research, published in the journal Body Image , showed the body dissatisfaction of participants who wrote about values or traits remained the same as before exposure to fitspiration. The intervention provided a buffer because a comparison group who viewed fitspiration but did not write about values or traits had increased body dissatisfaction.

Another way individuals interact with content is by providing comments. A study Stutts published with Kerstin Blomquist , from Furman University, in the journal Body Image  this year found participants who wrote comments about the background behind a woman in a fitspiration post had lower appearance comparison than participants who wrote about the appearance of the woman in the same post. 

The researchers concluded that women can potentially reduce the negative impact of fitspiration by reminding themselves of their values outside of appearance before or after viewing fitspiration or can make non-appearance comments when interacting with the content, or both.

“These are strategies that could serve as self-help steps,” Stutts said, “or, in a college setting, could be suggested by a resident adviser.” 

Davidson College offers services and programs to prevent and respond to body image concerns and eating disorders, including: 

• Individual nutrition and counseling appointments. 
• Two collaborative Eating Concern Teams of counselors, dietitians, medical providers, athletic training and clinical case managers.
• Programming throughout the school year and especially during the month of February promoting body acceptance and eating disorder awareness.
• A nutrition course and The Body Project, an evidence-based program challenging appearance and beauty standards, students can take as PE lifetime wellness credits. 
• The Body Positivity program with athletes.

The college’s Center for Student Health and Well-Being also will help students secure a higher level of care if needed.

Stutts hopes that online content creators and the leaders of social media platforms will listen as the evidence of potential harm stacks up. 

Stutts’ work with students is part of the exceptional number of research opportunities that Davidson provides for an undergraduate institution, including joint research with faculty. Stutts said offering such experience is as important as the research results.

“One of my most transformative experiences as a student at Davidson was being able to work with faculty members on research projects,” she said. “Therefore, my main research priority is to give that experience back to students. I want them to not only develop skills for future careers but also to see how research can advance positive change in the world.”

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