Teens’ screen time impact is tiny

Updated: 2025.10.14 7D ago 3 sources
A synthesis of meta-analyses, preregistered cohorts, and intensive longitudinal studies finds only very small associations between daily digital use and adolescent depression/anxiety. Most findings are correlational and unlikely to be clinically meaningful, with mixed positive, negative, and null effects. — This undercuts blanket bans and moral panic, suggesting policy should target specific risks and vulnerable subgroups rather than treating all screen time as harmful.

Sources

Digital Platforms Correlate With Cognitive Decline in Young Users
msmash 2025.10.14 60% relevant
This study finds statistically detectable but modest differences (1–2 points for ~1 hour/day; 4–5 points at 3+ hours), adding nuance to claims of minimal average harms while showing a dose–response pattern that may still be policy‑relevant.
Adolescent Mental Health in the Digital Age: Facts, Fears and Future Directions - PMC
2025.10.07 100% relevant
Odgers & Jensen (2020) conclude recent rigorous large-scale studies show small, non–clinically significant links between daily digital technology use and adolescent well‑being.
Are screens harming teens? What scientists can do to find answers
2025.04.02 82% relevant
The editorial notes that reviews generally find weak or inconsistent links between social‑media use and adolescent mental health, and flags unreliable self‑reported screen time and heterogeneous effects—points that align with evidence tempering broad claims of harm.
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