Global decline in students' reading skills
A global educational assessment revealed that students’ reading skills have reached their lowest levels since the beginning of the century, coinciding with the growing use of smartphones and digital devices, raising concerns about the impact of screen time on academic achievement. According to the latest results of the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), administered by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), approximately 760,000 15-year-old students in 91 countries participated in the 2025 assessment. The results showed a decline in student performance in reading, mathematics, and science to the lowest levels since data collection began in 2000. Reading scores fell from their peak of 501 points in 2012 to 466 points in 2025, with findings indicating that current reading levels among students now match what was previously expected from students a year younger. OECD Secretary-General Mathias Cormann stated that increased screen time, alongside a decline in reading for pleasure, has been linked to lower reading performance among students. He also highlighted another phenomenon, “skimming,” noting that some students tend to quickly skim through texts and provide incorrect answers without carefully considering their content. The decline was not limited to reading; average performance in science dropped from 506 points in 2009 to 486 points, and in mathematics from 502 to 469 points. Although the report did not call for banning smartphones in schools, it noted that digital distraction was associated with lower science scores in 59 out of 82 education systems included in the study. Students reported spending an average of 3.4 hours per day on weekdays using digital devices for entertainment, in addition to approximately three more hours for learning purposes at school and at home. Cormann emphasized that digital devices can contribute to improved learning when used in moderation, but results begin to decline when daily usage exceeds five hours.
