There is little evidence of a link between usage, according to a new study from Oxford Universityof video gamesand Co. and mental health problems among young people. The study challenges countless policies and laws that are based on the long-standing assumption that technology is harmful to children. The mental health problems are due to other factors.
Mental health problems in adolescents: important facts
More than 430,000 young people from the UK and US took part in a study using surveys dating back to 1991. The researchers compared mental disorders such as depression and psychological problems with the use of television and technical devices. According to the data in the questionnaires, small reductions in this regard were observed over the 30-year period. During the same period, a slight increase was found in the connection between mental disorders and the use of social media.
Important background information
Technology is often blamed for mental health problems among children and young people. This perception, along with improving privacy and well-being online, is prompting lawmakers and regulators to highlight the risks of addiction, anxiety disorders and depression. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommended in 2019 that young children under the age of 5 should spend no more than 1 hour a day in front of a screen. There are many reports linking the use of social media by teenagers to the increase in depression and suicides.
The above study assesses the time spent using technological devices rather than how they were used. The study is based on self-reports, which may be inaccurate.
Professor Andy Przybylski, who led the study, said it was too early to draw firm conclusions about the link between teenagers' use of technology and their mental health. He called for more transparency from the high-tech sector and urged more data to be released for an independent investigation.
