Early Exposure, ICT Use, and Teenage Well being Outcomes

Adolescent’s digital technology use and well-being has been a topic of growing public concern. While most existing studies look at the role of the Internet and social media, we focus on how early exposure to digital devices - defined as first use at age 6 and younger - shapes well-being and sense of school belonging at 15 years of age. Using data from the 2015 and 2018 waves of Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), we identify causality through the intensity of ICT use in parental occupation as an exogenous variation to instrument children’s early ICT exposure. We find positive effects of early digital exposure on students’ sense of school belonging but no clear impact on overall life satisfaction. This positive effect appears to be driven by several interrelated factors, including improved digital competence, reduced time spent on digital activities during adolescence, motivated occupational aspirations in STEM fields, and a sense of shared experience within the school community.