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Back in September Dr Search posted a blog Students using Facebook lower exam results by 20 per cent when research showed that students who use Facebook while studying for exams score significantly lower grades than those who do not.Now new research has found that  teachers blame Facebook and Twitter for pupils’ poor grades with seven in 10 British teachers believe children are becoming more and more obsessed with websites such as Facebook

Children who spend much of their time online find it harder to concentrate in class, are permanently distracted and have shorter attention spans, researchers found.

Many teachers are also unhappy at the increase in the number of children who are using text-speak or social networking chat – such as 2mor, msg, lol and bk – in place of English grammar.

The worrying stats emerged in a study of 500 teachers conducted by leading school trips provider JCA – which motivates personal and social development outside the classroom.

A spokeswoman for JCA said: “This research clearly demonstrates that students up and down the country are spending more and more time using social media.

“Rather than relying on life experiences, educational travel and face to face interaction with others, children are becoming obsessed with social networking and this is shaping their attitudes instead.

“And as the teachers spell out, it is this obsession which has a direct impact on the future of our children – affecting their grades because they fail to complete their homework on time or to the standard required, and being unable to concentrate in class.”

The report concludes that the children with the poorest grades at school are the ones who spent most time on social networking.

It is also claimed that children who are online at every available opportunity are less willing to communicate with adults.

And some teachers believe that despite schools banning mobile phones, many pupils secretly take smart phones to school and remain connected to social networking websites in class.

Abbreviations commonly used on sites such as Twitter and Facebook are also making it into coursework, essays and experiment write-ups.

And 35 per cent of children regularly use excuses such as ”my computer broke” and ”I couldn’t print it” to explain why they haven’t done their homework.

Teachers believe pupils don’t spend nearly enough time on their homework as they should – and 73 per cent believe parents should take responsibility and limit the amount of time their child is spending online.

Unfortunately, 58 per cent of teachers believe mobile phones and computers are responsible for children being unable to spell as well as previous generations.

And 54 per cent say children can’t write as well as they should because they are more used to keyboards and touch pads.