Time spent on smartphones ‘isn’t bad for mental health’, study finds

by



[ad_1]

Spending time on your smartphone browsing social media and responding to messages isn’t bad for your mental health, psychologists say.

By analyzing both Android and iPhone users, British researchers found that time spent on a smartphone was a poor indicator of anxiety, depression, or stress.

People who scored high on depressive symptoms, on the other hand, did not use their smartphones any more than those who had low depressive symptoms.

Worrying about the time you spend on your smartphone – rather than the actual time spent on it – is more likely to be the cause of a negative psychological impact, experts say.

Scroll down for video

General smartphone use is a bad indicator of anxiety, depression or stress, researchers from the University of Lincoln and the University of Bath say

General smartphone use is a bad indicator of anxiety, depression or stress, researchers from the University of Lincoln and the University of Bath say

“It’s important to look at the actual use of the device separately from people’s concerns and concerns about the technology,” said study author Heather Shaw of the Department of Psychology at Lancaster University.

“This is because the first one doesn’t show a notable relationship with mental health, the second one does.

For their study, the researchers considered different ways to measure “ smartphone usage ” through problematic smartphone usage scales (PSUs), subjective estimates, and objective logs based on screen time.

The first part of the study recruited 46 people with Android smartphones, the use of which was monitored for a week.

Participants were also asked about their mental health, completing clinical scales that measure symptoms of anxiety, stress and depression.

Participants also completed a Problem Smart Smartphone Use Scale (PSU), which measured how well they perceived their smartphone use to be problematic and provided estimates of their usage time.

For the PSU, participants rated how well they agreed with several statements, such as “ feeling pleasant or excited while using a smartphone ” on a six-point scale ranging from “ very much ”. agree ” to “ strongly disagree ”, with higher scores. indicating an increased risk of addiction.

Researchers measured the time spent on smartphones by 199 iPhone users and 46 Android users for a week

Researchers measured the time spent on smartphones by 199 iPhone users and 46 Android users for a week

For the second part of the study, 199 iPhone users were recruited, who responded to an online survey asking them to report their smartphone usage from the “ Apple Screen Time ” settings for the week. last.

IPhone users were asked the same mental health questions as in Part 1, completed the PSU scale, and provided estimates of their usage.

Despite the plethora of reports indicating otherwise, time spent on the smartphone was not linked to poor mental health.

“Daily smartphone shots or a person’s screen time cannot predict symptoms of anxiety, depression, or stress,” Shaw said.

“Additionally, those who exceeded clinical ‘cutoffs’ for general anxiety and major depressive disorder did not use their phones more than those who scored below that cutoff.

Previous studies have revealed the detrimental impact of “screen time”.

For example, a study carried out in 2018 by the American psychologist Jean Twenge and his research colleagues established a link between the increase in screen time of smartphones and a decline in psychological well-being.

This new study shows that people’s attitudes or worries are likely to lead to such results and to undermine psychological well-being.

This is an important distinction to consider for experts who publicly stress the need to spend time away from their phones – especially during the current pandemic, experts suggest.

In fact, reducing general screen time “ won’t make people happier ” during the Covid-19 pandemic, which is forcing more people to use phones and devices to stay in touch with their friends, family and friends. family and their colleagues.

“Our findings add to a growing body of research which suggests that reducing general screen time will not make people happier,” said study author Dr David Ellis of the University of Bath.

“Instead of arguing for the benefits of digital detox, our research suggests that people would benefit from measures to address concerns and fears that have developed over time spent using phones.

The study has been published in Technology, Mind and Behavior.

Social media does NOT cause depression in teens, another study finds

A 2019 study also found no evidence to support claims that social media is the root cause of depression in adolescents.

The study was conducted by researchers in Canada who collected data from adolescents and young children in Ontario.

597 students aged 11-14 were surveyed once a year for two years starting in 2017. 1,132 graduates were surveyed each year for six years starting in 2010.

The researchers compared the data, taking into account demographics, in-person contact, depressive symptoms, and social media use.

Taking all of this information into account allowed the researchers to conclude that there is no connection between depression and social media.

The study found that teenage girls with depressive symptoms tend to use social media more over time.

The results showed that social media use did not directly lead to depression-like symptoms for either age group.

“This finding contrasts with the idea that people who use social media a lot become more depressed over time.

“Instead, teenage girls who are feeling down can take to social media to try and feel better,” said lead author Taylor Heffer of Brock University in Ontario, Canada.

[ad_2]

Source link