Abstract:

In our study, we examine how the usage of social networks and Internet applications by primary school students are related to their language, vocabulary and reading literacy. The results of the previous studies are rather controversial. Some authors show positive relationship between children's communication via social networks and critical thinking (Rizal, Steven, 2012), technological and reading literacy (Lusk, 2010). Others do not confirm this relationship (El-Badawy, Hashem, 2014). In Russia, there are very few studies of the Internet use (for example, Koroleva, 2016) and no studies on the relationship with educational outcomes.

This research is based on the data of the study of 3649 third-grade students from 337 schools in two regions of Russia. The study was conducted in the fall of 2019 and consisted of children's’ questionnaire which include information about their ICT use (the frequency of use of social networks such as YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, Kwai etc), as well as some school and personnel characteristics. Also, children passed a standardized test with such scales as language, vocabulary and reading.

First, we show the distribution of answers on the usage of various social networks. Then a hierarchical cluster analysis (Ward’s method) is used on these variables. Then a regression analysis is used with standardized language, vocabulary and reading scores as dependent variables and clusters and control variables (students’ gender, the time they spend on the Internet, the number of books at home, the type of school and the settlement size) as independent.
Using the Internet for many children means access to social networks. The most popular social network is YouTube - 62% of primary high school students watch videos there every day. Messengers are the second most popular category - about 44% of students use them almost every day.

Cluster analysis allows us to divide children to three groups by their Internet behavior: “digital natives”, “Youtubers” и “Pop users”. “Digital natives” (14.7%) almost everyday use all apps. 61% of them are boys and almost half spend more than 2 hours per day on the internet. “Youtubers” (33.4%, of which 49% are boys) often watch YouTube, but rarely use other applications and usually spend less than one hour on these activities. “Pop users” (51.9%) regularly use messengers, watch YouTube or short videos in Musical.ly (which is now TikTok) and Kwai, and spend no more than 2 hours per day. These are mostly girls (59%).

While controlling other characteristics, “digital natives” get lower scores on language, vocabulary and reading. The difference from “Youtubers” is 0.28 sd for language and vocabulary, and 0.45 sd for reading (p<0.01). For “Pop users” coefficients are 0.25, 0.32 and 0.43, respectively (p<0.01).

To conclude, in Russia “digital natives” have lower achievements in all literacy types. It could be related to the large amount of time they spend on the Internet, or it may be the reverse direction of relationship. Probably children who find themselves in a virtual space are not very successful at school.

Keywords:

ICT, social networks, elementary school.