One study looked at the computer use of students in grades 5 through 8. The researchersfound a link between access to home computers and a drop in reading and math scores. What is clear,they say, is that middle graders are mostly using computers to socialize and play games rather than foreducational purposes. The study used data from 2000 to 2005, before the huge rise in socialnetworking sites, so the problem may be even more extreme today.