Screen addiction affects teens’ mental health. How to spot it, and help

-

Addictive Screen Use Trajectories and Youth Mental Health

High or increasing trajectories of addictive screen use (social media, mobile phones, or video games) are associated with elevated risks of suicidal behaviors, suicidal ideation, and worse mental health outcomes in US youth.
Photo by Inspa Makers on Unsplash

Yes, addictive screen use trajectories are strongly associated with increased risks of suicidal behaviors, suicidal ideation, and worse mental health outcomes in US youth, according to a cohort study of 4,285 adolescents.

The study emphasized that the pattern of addictive use (characterized by difficulty stopping, withdrawal, tolerance, and conflict), rather than just the total hours of screen time, is the critical factor linking screen engagement to poor mental health.

Key Findings from the Study

High Prevalence of Increasing Addictive Use

  • Nearly one-third (31.3%) of adolescents showed an increasing addictive use trajectory for social media over four years.

  • One-quarter (24.6%) of adolescents showed an increasing addictive use trajectory for mobile phones.

Association with Suicide-Related Outcomes

Both high and increasing addictive use trajectories for all screen types (social media, mobile phones, and video games) were linked to significantly elevated risks of suicide-related outcomes.

Screen Use TrajectoryRisk Ratio (RR) for Suicidal Behaviors (vs. Low Use)
Increasing Addictive Social Media Use2.14 (More than double the risk)
High-Peaking Addictive Social Media Use2.39 (Nearly two-and-a-half times the risk)

Association with Internalizing and Externalizing Symptoms

Youths with problematic screen use also reported more symptoms of mental health distress:

  • High Video Game Addictive Use was associated with the largest difference in internalizing symptoms (e.g., anxiety and depression).

  • Increasing Social Media Addictive Use was associated with the largest difference in externalizing symptoms (e.g., aggression and rule-breaking).

The Distinction from Total Screen Time

The study highlights that total screen time at baseline was not associated with the negative mental health outcomes, underscoring that the quality of engagement (i.e., whether it is compulsive or addictive) is more harmful than the quantity of time spent.

Comments

Post a Comment

Please comment on this blog-

Popular posts from this blog

What would it be like if your neurons could regenerate?

-
Image
  What If Neurons Could Regenerate? Imagine a world where your brain could heal and renew itself like your skin or liver. How would that change your life? Would you still be the same person, or would you evolve into someone entirely different? Let’s dive into this mind-bending idea together. The top image shows fluorescently labeled cells in the spinal cord of a zebrafish recovering one week after an injury, and the bottom image shows recovery four weeks after an injury. Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis describe the dramatic changes within nerve cells that make regeneration possible. Such findings could inspire the development of new therapies for spinal cord injuries in people. (Image: Mokalled lab) A New Era for Memory and Learning Think about the last time you struggled to remember something important. What if your brain had the ability to replace lost or damaged neurons? Learning could become faster and more efficient, making knowledge ret...
Read more

Sweetener saccharin shows surprising power against antibiotic resistance

-
Image
Abstract Artificial sweeteners like saccharin, commonly used as sugar substitutes, are revealing surprising capabilities in combating antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Recent research indicates that saccharin and similar compounds, such as acesulfame-K and sucralose, can inhibit the growth of multidrug-resistant pathogens like Acinetobacter baumannii and Pseudomonas aeruginosa . These sweeteners disrupt bacterial biofilm formation and motility, and they can enhance the effectiveness of existing antibiotics by increasing bacterial membrane permeability, leading to cell lysis. Notably, acesulfame-K demonstrated potent antimicrobial activity in ex vivo wound models, suggesting potential therapeutic applications. ​ However, there's a complex side to this narrative. Studies have shown that artificial sweeteners can also promote the spread of antibiotic resistance genes. They do this by increasing bacterial cell membrane permeability and stimulating the expression of genes involved in D...
Read more

Soon, human organs for transplant may be grown in animal hosts

-
Image
TOKYO: Japan  has given the green light to a controversial research process involving implanting animals with human stem cells that could eventually help grow human organs for transplant inside animal hosts. The decision by the education and science ministry on Friday to revise its guidelines means Japanese researchers can now apply for permits to carry out studies employing the technique, a ministry official said. The process involves implanting embryonic animals, likely first pigs, with human “induced pluripotent stem” (iPS) cells, which can transform into the building blocks of any part of the body. The idea is for the iPS cells to grow into transplantable human organs inside the animal embryos. Japan had previously required researche rs to terminate animal embryos implanted with human cells after 14 days “due to ethical concerns over the vague line between human beings and animals,” the official said. The old regulations also prevented researchers from placing th...
Read more