Mandate objective screen metrics

Research and policy should require anonymized, objective device and app usage logs (not self‑report) for population studies of adolescent mental health, paired with clear privacy protections and standardized metadata about content types. Better measurement would allow researchers to distinguish passive scrolling from active social interaction, and to identify which platforms and content associate with harm or benefit. — If researchers and regulators insist on objective metrics, debate over 'phones harm teens' can shift from conjecture to actionable evidence that informs regulation, platform design, and clinical guidance.