Preregistered studies deflate screen‑time panic

Large, preregistered cohort studies and intensive longitudinal methods show that most associations between adolescents’ time online and depression/anxiety are small, correlational, and not clinically meaningful. The implication is that simple hour‑counts (screen time) are a poor target for policy or parental alarm without attention to context and vulnerable subgroups. — Shifts debate from blanket screen‑time limits toward targeted support, better study design (preregistration), and focusing on who is harmed and how.