• Two out of five ask for help with school problems on social media
• Over half observe distractions in class due to social media
• Around a third of schoolchildren are in favour of banning social media in schools

Watching an explanatory video on parabolic calculations, clicking through an animation on cell division or reading a blog post on poetry interpretation – social media is much more than just a leisure activity for children and young people. Many also use it for learning or tutoring. For example, 39 percent of schoolchildren aged 14 and above ask questions on social networks such as Reddit, Discord or Instagram when they don’t understand something at school. And almost two-thirds (64 percent) think that influencers and YouTubers can explain facts and school questions better than their teachers. These are the results of a representative survey of 502 secondary school students between the ages of 14 and 19 commissioned by the digital association Bitkom. According to the survey, one third (34 percent) said they would not have passed certain exams without educational videos on social networks. ‘When students first turn to Reddit or Discord when they have questions, it shows that schools need to move closer to the digital world and make greater use of digital learning media,’ said Bitkom President Dr. Ralf Wintergerst. ‘YouTubers and influencers reach young people with formats that are unfamiliar to many schools and their teachers.’

Social networks are not only changing independent learning, but also everyday life at school and the way pupils interact with each other. More than half (56 percent) of them say that pupils in their class often do not pay attention in class, but secretly use social media. As a result, some are quite critical of social media use in schools: 31 percent of students believe that social media should be banned in schools.

Note on methodology: The information is based on a survey conducted by Bitkom Research on behalf of the digital association Bitkom. A total of 502 students in Germany between the ages of 14 and 19 were surveyed by telephone. The survey took place between calendar weeks 9 and 15 of 2025. The survey is representative. The question was: ‘Which of the following statements about social media in the classroom and at school apply to you or in your opinion?’