Move Over, TV: Students Now Distract Themselves From Homework With YouTube, Study Finds

There’s a rule that has been enforced upon generations of school-age children across the world: No TV before you finish your homework. For the modern-day parent, however, it would be wise to add YouTube to that restriction. According to a study commissioned by Firefly Learning, more students now choose to distract themselves with YouTube videos than with TV.

The study asked 2,000 students between the ages of 11 and 15 to discuss their homework habits. Of that number, 24% said YouTube is their biggest distraction from their assignments, while 18% chose TV as their primary form of entertainment-related procrastination. Snapchat accounted for another 18% of the pie, Facebook was fourth at 12%, and Instagram trailed other major social media platforms at 6%.

Firefly is based in London, and its possible that a similar survey of US students would produce different results. Then again, why wouldn’t YouTube be a more common distraction than TV? It’s easier to digest in small bites and more accessible on phones. The world’s top video site wasn’t around I was within the age range of this study, but I can’t count the number of YouTube rabbit roles I climbed into to escape my college homework.

The results of the study were shared by The Telegraph.