And the phenomenon appears to be global: the performance of 15-year-olds in math, reading, and science, reached a historic low in 2022. Finland — “once known for having one of the best school systems in the world,” according to Twenge — is a dispiriting case in point. In 2022, Finnish students admitted to screwing around on their devices for nearly 90 minutes per day at school. Coincidentally, their test scores nosedived between 2006 and 2022. “It seems ridiculous to have to say this, but digital distraction is terrible for academic performance,” Twenge wrote, citing a 2021 study.