Digital media use and mental health
Researchers from fields like psychology, sociology, anthropology, and medicine have studied the relationship between digital media use and mental health since the mid-1990s, following the rise of the World Wide Web and text messaging. Much research has focused on patterns of excessive use, often called "digital addictions" or "digital dependencies," which can vary across different cultures and societies. At the same time, some experts have explored the positive effects of moderate digital media use, including its potential to support mental health and offer innovative treatments. For example, participation in online support communities has been found to provide mental health benefits, although the overall impact of digital media remains complex.
The difference between beneficial and pathological use of digital media has not yet been established. There are little to no widely accepted diagnostic criteria associated with digital media overuse, although some experts consider overuse a manifestation of underlying psychiatric disorders. The prevention and treatment of pathological digital media use are not standardized, although guidelines for safer media use for children and families have been developed. The fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders and the International Classification of Diseases currently do not recognize problematic internet use or problematic social media use as official diagnoses. However, the ICD-11 does include gaming disorder—often referred to as video game addiction—while the DSM-5 does not. As of 2023, there remains ongoing debate about if and when these behaviors should be formally diagnosed. Additionally, the use of the term "addiction" to describe these conditions has been increasingly questioned.
Digital media and screen time amongst modern social media apps such as Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat and Facebook have changed how children think, interact and develop in positive and negative ways, but researchers are unsure about the existence of hypothesized causal links between digital media use and mental health outcomes. Those links appear to depend on the individual and the platforms they use
A 2017 study by He, Turel, and Bechara found that excessive social media use can reduce gray matter in brain regions responsible for attention and impulse control, suggesting measurable structural changes caused by long-term overstimulation of the brain.
History and terminology
The relationship between digital technology and mental health has been studied from multiple perspectives. Research has identified benefits of digital media use for childhood and adolescent development. However, researchers, clinicians, and the public have also expressed concern over compulsive behaviors linked to digital media use, as increasing evidence shows correlations between excessive technology use and mental health issues.Terminologies used to refer to compulsive digital-media-use behaviours are not standardized or universally recognised. They include "digital addiction", "digital dependence", "problematic use", or "overuse", often delineated by the digital media platform used or under study. Unrestrained use of technological devices may affect developmental, social, mental and physical well-being and may result in symptoms akin to other psychological dependence syndromes, or behavioral addictions. The focus on problematic technology use in research, particularly in relation to the behavioural addiction paradigm, is becoming more accepted, despite poor standardization and conflicting research.
Internet addiction has been proposed as a diagnosis since 1998 and social media and its relation to addiction has been examined since 2009. A 2018 Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development report stated there were benefits of structured and limited internet use in children and adolescents for developmental and educational purposes, but that excessive use can have a negative impact on mental well-being. The report also noted a 40% overall increase in internet use among school-age children between 2010 and 2015, with significant variations in usage rates and platform preferences across different OECD countries. The American Psychological Association recommends that adolescents receive training or coaching on social media use to help them develop psychologically informed skills and competencies, promoting balanced, safe, and meaningful engagement online.
The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders has not formally classified problematic digital media use as a diagnostic category but identified internet gaming disorder as a condition warranting further study in 2013. Meanwhile, gaming disorder—commonly known as video game addiction—is recognized in the ICD-11. The differing recommendations between the DSM and ICD partly reflect a lack of expert consensus, variations in the focus of each classification system, and challenges in applying animal models to behavioral addictions.
The utility of the term addiction in relation to the overuse of digital media has been questioned, in regard to its suitability to describe new, digitally mediated psychiatric categories, as opposed to overuse being a manifestation of other psychiatric disorders. Usage of the term has also been criticised for drawing parallels with substance use behaviours. Careless use of the term may cause more problems—both downplaying the risks of harm in seriously affected people, as well as overstating risks of excessive, non-pathological use of digital media. The evolution of terminology relating excessive digital media use to problematic use rather than addiction was encouraged by Panova and Carbonell, psychologists at Ramon Llull University, in a 2018 review.
Due to the lack of recognition and consensus on the concepts used, diagnoses and treatments are difficult to standardize or develop. Heightened levels of public anxiety around new media adds confusion to the interpretation of population-based assessments, as well as posing management dilemmas. Radesky and Christakis, the 2019 editors of JAMA Paediatrics, published a review that investigated "concerns about health and developmental/behavioral risks of excessive media use for child cognitive, language, literacy, and social-emotional development." Due to the ready availability of multiple technologies to children worldwide, the problem is bi-directional, as taking away digital devices may have a detrimental effect, in areas such as learning, family relationship dynamics, and overall development.
Problematic use
Although associations have been observed between digital media use and mental health symptoms or diagnoses, causality has not been established; nuances and caveats published by researchers are often misunderstood by the general public, or misrepresented by the media. Problematic social media use can also result in fear of missing out in which symptoms of anxiety and psychological stress exasperated with the fear of potentially missing content present online leaving the individual feeling unfulfilled or left out of the loop. Worsening mental health issues, such as anxiety and depression, have been linked to digital use—particularly among younger users who may be more vulnerable to social comparison. Neuroscientific findings that support a structural change in the brain, similar to behavioural addictions; have not found a specific biological or neural processes that may lead to excessive digital media use.When an individual has FoMo they will be more likely to constantly check their social media accounts using their personal devices to check social media or messages to ensure they are up to date with information that is occurring within the individual's social network. This constant need to check social media platforms for information induces feelings of anxiety driving individuals to get involved with problematic social media use.
Screen time and mental health
Certain types of problematic internet use have been linked to psychiatric and behavioral issues such as depression, anxiety, hostility, aggression, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. However, studies have not established clear causal relationships—for instance, it remains unclear whether individuals with depression overuse the internet because of their condition, or if excessive internet use contributes to developing depression. Research also suggests that social media's effects can be both positive and negative, depending on individual circumstances. While digital media overuse has been associated with depressive symptoms, it may also be used in some cases to improve mood. A large prospective study found a positive correlation between ADHD symptoms and digital media use.Although the ADHD symptom of hyperfocus may lead some individuals to spend excessive time on video games, social media, or online chatting, the link between hyperfocus and problematic social media use is relatively weak. A 2018 review found associations between the self-reported mental health symptoms by users of the Chinese social media platform WeChat and excessive platform use. However, the motivations and usage patterns of WeChat users affected overall psychological health, rather than the amount of time spent using the platform. During the COVID-19 pandemic specifically, a meta-analysis reported that although gaming time increased modestly, greater time spent gaming was not linked to differences in well-being across studies.
The evidence, although of mainly low to moderate quality, shows a correlation between heavy screen time and a variety of physical and mental health problems. Social media is found to be one of the main factors of procrastination, especially for students. Although media provides entertainment it can also be a distraction leading to these declines in academic success. Research from stop Procrastinating finds social media and other forms of media, to be the leading cause of procrastination trends. However, moderate use of digital media has been linked to positive outcomes, including improved social integration, mental health, and overall well-being for young people. In fact, certain digital platforms, when used in moderation, have even been associated with enhanced mental health.
In a 2022 review, it was discovered that when it comes to adolescents' well-being that perhaps there is too much focus on locating a negative correlation between digital technologies and adolescents' well-being, If a negative correlation between the two are located the impact would potentially be minimal to the point where it would have little to no impact on adolescent well-being or quality of life.