A recent study found that using a phone for less than two hours a day may reduce the risk of mental health issues. Researchers from Hanyang University in Korea discovered that individuals aged 13 to 18 who used their phones for less than two hours daily were less likely to experience depression, sleep problems, stress, suicidal thoughts, and alcohol addiction compared to their peers who did not limit their phone use. However, using a phone for over four hours was associated with a 22% increased risk of these issues.
While most research suggests that excessive screen time can be harmful to our well-being, the researchers indicate that their findings show that limited phone use can be "beneficial." They analyzed data from 2017 and 2020 involving 50,000 adolescents from an online survey on Korean youth behavior, which included 103 questions about physical and mental health. A smartphone usage survey was conducted in 2017 and again in 2020.
The researchers assessed the relationship between phone use and health outcomes, considering factors such as age, gender, and socioeconomic status. Compared to health outcomes for individuals who did not use phones, adolescents using their phones for less than two hours daily experienced 30% less stress, 27% less poor sleep, 38% less depression, 43% less likelihood of suicidal thoughts, and 47% less alcohol consumption.
The researchers emphasized that bias could influence survey studies, as previous studies indicated that adolescents experiencing emotional regulation difficulties might be more likely to overuse smartphones. The team found that phone use negatively impacted health outcomes when used for four to six hours or more, compared to non-users. Increased social media use was also linked to unhappiness, as people compared their lives to others online and had greater chances of stress, depression, poor sleep, and suicidal thoughts.
The study was published in the journal PLOS ONE.
