Associations between screen time and lower psychological well-being among children and adolescents: Evidence from a population-based study

Associations between screen time and lower psychological well-being among children and adolescents: Evidence from a population-based study

Highlights

• More hours of screen time are associated with lower well-being in ages 2 to 17.

• High users show less curiosity, self-control, and emotional stability.

• Twice as many high (vs. low) users of screens had an anxiety or depression diagnosis.

• Non-users and low users did not differ in well-being.

• Associations with well-being were larger for adolescents than for children.

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With teen mental health deteriorating over five years, there’s a likely culprit

Around 2012, something started going wrong in the lives of teens. In just the five years between 2010 and 2015, the number of U.S. teens who felt useless and joyless – classic symptoms of depression – surged 33 percent in large national surveys. Teen suicide attempts increased 23 percent. […]

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Dopamine, Smartphones & You: A battle for your time

Dopamine, Smartphones & You: A battle for your time

“..positive social stimuli will similarly result in a release of dopamine, reinforcing whatever behavior preceded it. Cognitive neuroscientists have shown that rewarding social stimuli—laughing faces, positive recognition by our peers, messages from loved ones—activate the same dopaminergic reward pathways. Smartphones have provided us with a virtually unlimited supply of social stimuli, both positive and negative. Every notification, whether it’s a text message, a “like” on Instagram, or a Facebook notification, has the potential to be a positive social stimulus and dopamine influx.”

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The association between smartphone use, stress, and anxiety: A meta-analytic review.

Abstract Research investigating the various mental, physical, and social effects of smartphone use has proliferated in the previous decade. Two variables of interest in this literature are the levels of anxiety and stress associated with smartphone use. The current meta-analysis aimed to provide the first quantitative review of this […]

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Smartphones: “psychological manipulation at right moment, is what makes it so powerful.”

Smartphones: "psychological manipulation at right moment, is what makes it so powerful."

…psychological manipulation at just the right moment, is what makes it so powerful.

These design techniques provide tech corporations a window into kids’ hearts and minds to measure their particular vulnerabilities, which can then be used to control their behavior as consumers. This isn’t some strange future… this is now. Facebook claimed the leaked report was misrepresented in the press. But when child advocates called on the social network to release it, the company refused to do so, preferring to keep the techniques it uses to influence kids shrouded in secrecy.

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It is Time to Confront Student Mental Health Issues Associated with Smartphones and Social Media

Psychiatrists have already begun to recommend that students identified as suffering from anxiety or depression should be monitored for smartphone addiction.

Click here to view original source The Journal of Pharmaceutical Education
It is Time to Confront Student Mental Health Issues Associated with Smartphones and Social Media
The American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education

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Phone Addiction Is Real — And So Are Its Mental Health Risks

Phone Addiction Is Real -- And So Are Its Mental Health Risks

The problem is that teens are spending more and more time, not talking on the phone like they were in decades past, but Instagram-ing and snapchat-ing. These are dangerous pastimes because they give the appearance of social interaction, but they couldn’t be further away from it. The comparisons that are implicit in looking at other people’s lives online, which are often highly manicured (and misleading), is thought to be what’s so depressing about social media. “These increases in mental health issues among teens are very alarming,” Twenge said. “Teens are telling us they are struggling, and we need to take that very seriously.”

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“Screen time should be considered a modern-day risk factor for depression and suicide.”

Florida State University Robert O. Lawton Distinguished Professor Thomas Joiner, who co-authored a study published in the journal Clinical Psychological Science, said screen time should be considered a modern-day risk factor for depression and suicide.

“There is a concerning relationship between excessive screen time and risk for death by suicide, depression, suicidal ideation and suicidal attempts,” said Joiner, who conducted the research with psychology Professor Jean Twenge of San Diego State University. “All of those mental health issues are very serious. I think it’s something parents should ponder.”

 

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Smartphone Addiction among Teenagers

Addiction is the term used to refer to loss of control over one’s behaviours, usually with negative consequences.

… high use rate lead to impulsiveness, mounting anxiety prior to using the device, loss of control, withdrawal symptoms, financial issues, damaged relationships, emotional stress and falling literacy.

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Does ‘Smartphone Addiction’ Show Up in Teens’ Brains? Spoiler Alert: YES

Does 'Smartphone Addiction' Show Up in Teens' Brains? Spoiler Alert: YES

Teens fixated on their smartphones experience changes to their brain chemistry that mirror those prompted by addiction, a new study suggests. Kids who compulsively used the internet or fiddled with their phones tended to have increased neurotransmitter activity […]

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