This research explores the impact of using smart devices for more than 4 hours per day on adolescent health. Credit: Porapak Apichodilok, Pexels, CC0 (creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/)
In a new study of more than 50,000 Korean teenagers, those who used a smartphone for more than four hours a day had higher rates of mental health and substance use problems. Jin-Hwa Moon and Jong Ho Cha of Hanyang University Medical Center, Korea, and colleagues present these findings in the open access journal PLOS ONE on December 6, 2023.
Previous research has shown that smartphone use among adolescents has increased in recent years and that this use may be associated with a higher risk of health problems, such as psychiatric disorders, sleep problems, eye problems and musculoskeletal disorders. However, growing evidence suggests that at least some daily Internet use may be associated with better physical and mental health among adolescents.
To further understand the relationship between adolescent smartphone use and health, Moon, Cha, and colleagues analyzed data from more than 50,000 adolescent participants in the ongoing online Risk Behavior Survey among Korean youth, collected in 2017 and 2020. The data included the approximate number of daily hours each participant spent on a smartphone as well as various health measures.
The statistical analysis used propensity score matching to help account for other factors that may be related to health outcomes, such as age, gender, and socioeconomic status.
Researchers found that in 2020, the percentage of teens in the study who used a smartphone more than two hours a day was 85.7%, up from 64.3% in 2017. Teens who used a smartphone for more than four hours a day had higher rates. stress, suicidal thoughts and substance use than those who use less than four hours a day. However, teens who used a smartphone one to two hours a day experienced fewer problems than teens who didn’t use a smartphone at all.
The authors note that this study does not confirm a causal relationship between smartphone use and adverse health effects. Nonetheless, the findings could help inform usage guidelines for adolescents, especially if daily use continues to increase.
The authors add: “This research shows the impact of using smart devices for more than four hours a day on adolescent health. »
More information:
Association between smartphone use and adolescent health outcomes: a propensity analysis using the Korean Youth Risk Behavior Survey, PLoS ONE (2023). DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0294553. journals.plos.org/plosone/arti …journal.pone.0294553
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