Research results that teenage mental health does not deteriorate even if you use smartphones and SNS


by

bruce mars

A total of 13,017 observation records for young people who often use smartphones for a total of 5,270 days revealed the impact of the use of digital technology on the mental health of young people.

Young Adolescents 'Digital Technology Use and Adolescents' Mental Health Symptoms: Little Evidence of Longitudinal or Daily Linkages-Michaeline Jensen, Madeleine J. George, Michael R. Russell, Candice L. Odgers,
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/2167702619859336

Tech time not to blame for teens' mental health problems: Study of 400 teens finds little evidence linking excessive smartphone use and mental health outcomes-ScienceDaily
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/08/190823140736.htm

Little evidence linking teen tech usage with elevated mental-health symptoms, study finds-Market Business News
https://marketbusinessnews.com/teen-tech-usage-mental-health/211957/

Past research suggests that social media use by teenagers is related to worsening mental health and developmental disabilities . On the other hand, it has been pointed out thattoo much PC and smartphone viewing does not reduce the happiness of young people, ” and there is a lively debate about whether the use of smartphones and SNS adversely affects the health of young people. It is continued.


by

Gary Cassel

Meanwhile, a research team led by Candice Ogers, professor of psychology at the University of California, Irvine, investigated the impact of digital technology on youth mental health through a survey of 388 youth aged 10-15. I observed it.

The team first conducted a 14-day Ecological Instant Assessment (EMA) per person for 388 youth attending public schools in North Carolina. EMA is also called diary method or experience sampling method, and it is a survey method that evaluates changes in psychological situations by asking the subjects to respond appropriately about their thoughts, feelings, behavior, environment, etc. during the experiment.

In this EMA, subjects were asked to answer about their mental health status three times a day, and the usage status of electronic devices was reported daily. After analyzing a total of 13,017 tracking records from this survey, it was found that “there is no relationship between the use of digital technology by young people and the symptoms of mental health”.


by Wokandapix

Specifically, even on the day when they answered “I spent a lot of time using digital technology,” there was no deterioration in mental health. This was the same result even in subjects who had a mental health problem from the beginning. In addition, there is a report that 'subjects who sent many text messages during the survey period had less feeling of depression than subjects who sent few text messages', which has a positive effect on mental health depending on how social media is used. The possibility is also suggested.

Ogers said, “It is time for adults to stop discussing whether smartphones and social media are good or bad for teenagers' mental health, and to find ways to support a better life both online and offline. It may have come, 'he said, and expressed his view that young people's support was more meaningful than good or bad discussions.

in Science, Posted by log1l_ks