A recent study conducted by Rice University, USA, which could be surprising and revealing for parents fretting about the time their children spend on the Internet, indicates that more time spent on the Internet improves academic performance of students, especially in math, reading, writing, and social studies.

Rice University researchers, who published the study in the Journal of Marketing Research (March), noted that the learning outcomes of students were better than of children with net connnectivity problems. “Investments in internet access provide clear and meaningful academic benefits. However, schools need to formulate clear policies to address increased disciplinary issues such as cyberbullying,” says Vikas Mittal, professor at Rice University.

For the study, researchers created a multi-year dataset (2000-14) of 1,243 school districts representing 9,000 public schools in Texas. They measured Internet access spending, 11 academic performance indicators, and 47 types of school disciplinary problems.

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