Problematic Social Media Use Increases Amongst Luxembourg Students

On Wednesday 26 February 2025, the Indian Business Chamber of Luxembourg (IBCL) held a conference on "Enhancing Student Wellbeing Through Technology" at the University of Luxembourg (Uni.lu) in Luxembourg-Kirchberg.

The conference, organised in conjunction with the Uni.lu and Schoolmait, a Luxembourg startup company that develops tools to measure student wellbeing, brought experts, educators, parents and students together to explore "innovative tools and strategies to enhance social, emotional and physical wellbeing in education".

Patrizia Luchetta, ESG leader, opened the event, IBCL’s first of 2025.

Himanshu Upadhyay, President of IBCL, welcomed the audience of approximately 30 people. He stated that, as a parent, he sees the social challenges of technology for young people. Children are under pressure to follow technology tools which can make them vulnerable to stress and anxiety. The goal should be to help students thrive academically and socially, even in this technological era.

Prof. Radu State, Network management and Cybersecurity SNT at Uni.lu, spoke of the impact of social networking on children’s wellbeing, stating that he admired technology but is also aware of its negative impact. Children are being bullied, not having real life experiences and using technology as a substitute for real contact. He mentioned a recent US-based study that showed technology can age the brain by ten years, and spoke of the impact this would have on children and students. He added that, despite all of this, technology can also have a positive impact on wellbeing and education.

Dr Carolina Catunda, Research Scientist at Uni.lu, discussed the findings of a Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) study that focused on mental health and wellbeing in Luxembourg schools. 8,467 students took part in the voluntary study in 2022, with results compared to those of a previous 2018 HBSC study. The aim of the study was to gain insights into the health and wellbeing of young people, to understand the social determinants of health and to form policies and procedures based on the outcomes.

42% of girls, compared to 23% of boys, felt that Covid had a negative impact on their mental health. Girls were reported to experience anxiety and loneliness more than boys: 45% of girls reported feeling anxious compared to 23% of boys, while 24% of girls experienced loneliness compared to 12% of boys. Girls are less physically active than boys but remain thinner. More girls than boys are reported as being underweight with more boys being overweight. Girls, however, overestimate their weight and size more than boys.

The study also reported that mental health is linked to physical activity which decreases with age. Students who were physically active reported better mental health. Regarding school, girls feel greater pressure to perform well at school and with homework.

Dr Catunda raised concerns regarding the significant increase of reported problematic social media use, from 2018 to 2022, with 12% of girls and 6% of boys falling into this category. This was impacted by increased screen time associated with Covid. Boys interest in gaming platforms was not researched in the study. Boys were reported to have easier communication with parents. Dr Catunda noted that in Luxembourg almost 9% of young people do not have a father present in their lives.

Dr Catunda stressed that we must reflect on the consequences of increased digitalisation in schools. She stated that many digital changes took place between 2018 and 2022 and this transformation was reflected in the data. She concluded with a call for action to combat the issues identified, including increased problematic social media use and greater anxiety and loneliness levels reported.

Yuval Somekh, co-founder of Schoolmait, discussed a case study from India in which collected information from 305 thirteen- to sixteen-year-olds in private schools. The wellbeing of the students was measured by analysing the feedback information, issues of concern were then identified, and interventions subsequently implemented. Students were asked about peer relations, safety, physical and digital wellbeing among other questions. The data collected allowed problems within the school setting to be recognised, goals to be identified and intervention plans to be implemented for both individual and classroom problems within the school setting. Student feedback following intervention indicated that they felt their voices were being heard, while parents reported the positive impact went beyond the school setting. In conclusion, Mr Somekh emphasised the importance of remeasuring students’ wellbeing following intervention.

A roundtable discussion, moderated by Patrizia Luchetta, saw panellists discuss the topic “How Technology and Al are shaping the future of student wellbeing and
education”. The panellists were: Naomi T., Head Student at St George's International School in Luxembourg; Kate Ramsay, Primary School Teacher and Social, Moral, Spiritual and Culture (SMSC) Coordinator at St George's International School; Ilias Sviatko, Research & Development Specialist at the University of Luxembourg (SnT).

The panellists discussed how children are exposed to information online but may not have the maturity or understanding to deal with it correctly. Technology can lead to productivity and concentration difficulties. Both students and adults appear to have become more trusting of social media information accessed. Ten to 20 years ago young people compared themselves to a much narrower social circle, whereas nowadays they are comparing themselves with peers worldwide.

Technology and AI can be used positively in the classroom. It is difficult for a teacher to provide tailored questions for all pupils and to focus on each student individually. AI can generate the right materials for pupils in order to tailor the learning experience to that particular student. This is a positive development for personalised learning. Personalised learning, however, should not be used as a replacement for traditional teaching. Educational skills can be enhanced with technology but the fundamental building blocks must be respected e.g. the development of fine motor skills which can be impacted by early introduction to technology.

Another issue raised was that AI requires a lot of data to be effective and by the time a student leaves school a lot of this personal data has been collected and stored. Security checks are necessary to ensure that this data is not manhandled. Educational data is sensitive- we must decide who the owner and manager of the data is.

Panellists spoke of how the most effective classroom of the future is one where the teacher knows when to use technology and when not to use it. Policies in this area should be developed in schools. Technology can affect brain development and critical thinking. Technological progress cannot be stopped, one must adapt and learn how to integrate it safely in society, including within the school setting.

The event concluded with a vote of thanks from Himanshu Upadhyay.

HOM