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After collecting 13,017 total observations over 5,270 study days, the study’s authors found that adolescents’ technology usage did not predict later mental health problems. Their mental health was also no different on the days they used more screen time than on the days they used less. Even the kids who were at risk for mental health problems “exhibited no signs of increased risk for mental health problems on higher technology use days.”
The authors concluded, “Findings from this … study do not support the narrative that young adolescents’ digital technology usage is associated with elevated mental health symptoms.” In a statement
about the paper, study author Michaeline Jensen, assistant professor of psychology at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, 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.”