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A recent study featured in the American Journal of Preventative Medicine reveals a more pronounced connection between screen time and mental health issues among American adolescents.
Researchers examined data over a year from over 8,000 participants involved in the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study, which focuses on brain development and health in children aged 11 and 12. Findings indicated that “problematic screen use” was linked to increased risks of depression, sleep disturbances, substance use, attention deficits, and oppositional defiance.
In a discussion about the study, lead researcher Dr. Jason M. Nagata described “problematic screen use” as a scenario where children struggle to manage their time online, despite attempts to do so, leading to stress, conflicts, or issues at school or home. He likened it to other addictive behaviors, noting withdrawal-like feelings, the need for more time online to achieve satisfaction, and frequent relapses.
These insights come at a pivotal time for young adolescents, a stage marked by a rapid increase in screen use and the onset of mental health challenges. In the United States, an estimated 49.5% of adolescents have encountered mental health issues, which led the U.S. Surgeon General to release a 2023 advisory concerning youth mental health and social media use.
The findings come at a critical developmental stage for young adolescents, as screen use rises sharply during this period. This is also when mental health challenges often first appear in this age group. In the U.S., an estimated 49.5% of adolescents have experienced mental illness, prompting U.S. Surgeon General to issue a 2023 advisory on youth mental health and social media use.
The debate over social media’s harms is not new. In 2017, social scientist Jean Twenge wrote “Have Smartphones Destroyed a Generation?” arguing that adolescent mental health declined as smartphones became widespread.
Social psychologist and author, Jonathan Haidt summarizes Twenge’s work in a Substack article saying, “In it, she showed a historical correlation: adolescent behavior changed, and their mental health collapsed just at the point in time when they traded in their flip phones for smartphones with always-available social media.”
Haidt continues, “She also showed a correlation relevant to the product safety question: The kids who spend the most time on screens (especially for social media) are the ones with the worst mental health. She concluded that ‘it’s not an exaggeration to describe iGen [Gen Z] as being on the brink of the worst mental-health crisis in decades. Much of this deterioration can be traced to their phones.’”
Although research is ringing new alarm bells for parents in terms of social media, Nagata cautions, “Not all screen time is harmful. The real risk comes when use becomes addictive or problematic, when kids can’t stop, feel stressed if they don’t use it, or it starts to disrupt sleep, mood, or daily life.”