Experts have been expressing concerns over the use of technology and its potential risks on mental health, especially in teenagers who are vulnerable to cyberbullying and may suffer from adverse reactions. However, some surveys have found that teens are aware of the potential risks and benefits associated with the use of technology.
To know more, researchers from the University of California have conducted a study and investigated the issue by examining how much time teenagers spent on their smartphones and its effect on their mental health. Please note that the researchers did not look at a connection between technology use and mental health.
The study looked at more than 2000 younger people and then tracked the use of smartphone of around 400 subjects from ages 10 to 15 for at least two weeks. The researchers also gathered information about their mental health status at least three times a day for the same period.
The researchers wanted to know whether teenagers who spent more time with smartphones were more likely to have mental health issues later. They also wanted to know whether spending more time on smartphones on a given day was associated with any kind of mental health issues on that day. Surprisingly, the researchers could not find an answer to both cases.
The study was published in Clinical Psychological Science.
Lead study author and assistant professor of psychology at the University of North Carolina, Michaeline Jensen, said, “Contrary to the common belief that smartphones and social media are damaging adolescents’ mental health, we don’t see much support for the idea that time spent on phones and online is associated with increased risk for mental health problems.”
Candice Odgers, Professor of Psychological Science at the University of California, Irvine, said, “It may be time for adults to stop arguing over whether smartphones and social media are good or bad for teens’ mental health and start figuring out ways to best support them in both their offline and online lives.”
Last year, a study conducted by the researchers of Oxford University found similar findings. The study was published in the journal Psychological Science. The study explained, “All the effects of all that texting, Instagramming, and Snapchatting on teenagers’ well-being are minuscule.” It said the impact on their mental health was minimal, irrespective of how many hours a day they used screens. According to another study from the Pew Research Center, spending more time on smartphones was found to be pretty harmless. It found that more than 90 percent teenagers used smartphones to pass the time, 84 percent of them used to connect with other people, while 83 percent to learn new things.
