Owning a smartphone before age 13 is associated with poorer mental health and well-being in early adulthood, according to a global study of more than 100,000 young people.
These correlations are mediated through several factors, including social media access, cyberbullying, disrupted sleep, and poor family relationships
Funny how 3 items are very specific, but it is not stated what about social media is so harmful?
Also as Lembot_0004 state, I think targeted advertising could be a big factor, and in EU and many countries that’s illegal to do against children.
leading to symptoms in adulthood that are not the traditional mental health symptoms of depression and anxiety and can be missed by studies using standard screeners. These symptoms of increased aggression, detachment from reality and suicidal thoughts
Sounds like those symptoms would be pretty standard to test for in a mental health evaluation.
I can’t help but get the feeling that this study was designed by an interest group. It somehow doesn’t ring true to me. Although the conclusion is pretty much as most would probably expect.
But maybe that’s the problem? The study shows exactly what most prejudiced against young people having smartphones would expect, and that could be caused by a flawed study.
it is not stated what about social media is so harmful?
They’re listing “mediating factors”; which is not exclusive to bad things even if it contributes to bad outcomes.
Our analysis reveals that receiving a smartphone before age 13 is associated with poorer mind health outcomes in young adulthood, particularly among females, including suicidal thoughts, detachment from reality, poorer emotional regulation, and diminished self-worth. These correlations are mediated through several factors, including social media access, cyberbullying, disrupted sleep, and poor family relationships.
What this is saying is:
“receiving a smartphone before age 13” + “social media access, cyberbullying, disrupted sleep, and poor family relationships” = “poorer mind health outcomes in young adulthood, particularly among females, including suicidal thoughts, detachment from reality, poorer emotional regulation, and diminished self-worth.”
The cellphone in isolation isn’t harmful. It’s the access to social media intended for adults, the 24/7 avenue for cyberbullying, the physiological interruptions to circadian rhythm due to screen time, and exasperated emotional damage of poor family dynamics where cellphones replace face to face intimacy.
Funny how 3 items are very specific, but it is not stated what about social media is so harmful?
Also as Lembot_0004 state, I think targeted advertising could be a big factor, and in EU and many countries that’s illegal to do against children.
Sounds like those symptoms would be pretty standard to test for in a mental health evaluation.
I can’t help but get the feeling that this study was designed by an interest group. It somehow doesn’t ring true to me. Although the conclusion is pretty much as most would probably expect.
But maybe that’s the problem? The study shows exactly what most prejudiced against young people having smartphones would expect, and that could be caused by a flawed study.
They’re listing “mediating factors”; which is not exclusive to bad things even if it contributes to bad outcomes.
What this is saying is:
“receiving a smartphone before age 13” + “social media access, cyberbullying, disrupted sleep, and poor family relationships” = “poorer mind health outcomes in young adulthood, particularly among females, including suicidal thoughts, detachment from reality, poorer emotional regulation, and diminished self-worth.”
The cellphone in isolation isn’t harmful. It’s the access to social media intended for adults, the 24/7 avenue for cyberbullying, the physiological interruptions to circadian rhythm due to screen time, and exasperated emotional damage of poor family dynamics where cellphones replace face to face intimacy.