Increases in Depressive Symptoms, Suicide-Related Outcomes, and Suicide Rates Among U.S. Adolescents After 2010 and Links to Increased New Media Screen Time

Abstract

In two nationally representative surveys of U.S. adolescents in grades 8 through 12 ( N = 506,820) and national statistics on suicide deaths for those ages 13 to 18, adolescents’ depressive symptoms, suicide-related outcomes, and suicide rates increased between 2010 and 2015, especially among females. Adolescents who spent more time on new media (including social media and electronic devices such as smartphones) were more likely to report mental health issues, and adolescents who spent more time on nonscreen activities (in-person social interaction, sports/exercise, homework, print media, and attending religious services) were less likely. Since 2010, iGen adolescents have spent more time on new media screen activities and less time on nonscreen activities, which may account for the increases in depression and suicide. In contrast, cyclical economic factors such as unemployment and the Dow Jones Index were not linked to depressive symptoms or suicide rates when matched by year.

Annual Research Review: Adolescent mental health in the digital age: facts, fears, and future directions

“…It is also worth noting that one of the primary studies that has been frequently cited as a source of panic related to a possible connection between social media and depression is the Monitoring the Future Study in the United States. This paper (Twenge et al, ) reported on a correlation that accounted for <1% of the variation in depressive symptoms; that is 99.666% of the variation in adolescent’s depressive symptoms was due to other factors, and the small correlation between digital technology usage and depression (0.4%) was cross‐sectional and was estimated based on both self‐reported depressive symptoms and technology usage. Similar to the vast majority of other studies reviewed here, there was no way to sort out cause from effect in this study.…”

Adolescent mental health in crisis

“…Social media use may result in less face to face communication, overdependency on being “liked” for social validation,8 and pressure to keep up with discussions 24 hours a day, leading to poor sleep 9. Recent research provides some support for these concerns, with greater effects on girls than boys 1011. But we need a deeper understanding of the risks and benefits, and we must balance concerns against the positive aspects of internet access, including crisis support, reduced social isolation, and better provision of therapy 12…”

New Avenues for Promoting Mindfulness in Adolescence using mHealth

“…In 2010, youth aged 8–18 spent an average of 7 hours and 38 minutes per day using mobile technology and the internet (Kaiser Family Foundation, 2010). There are concerns that the time-trends we observe of increases in adolescent mental health problems (Collishaw et al, 2004) and suicide rates (Twenge, Joiner, Rogers, & Martin, 2018) are attributable to “dangerous” levels of mobile technology and internet use in this age group (Scott, Valley, & Simecka, 2017; Ungar, 2018). In support of this argument is evidence that adolescents who engage in more screen time report lower psychological well-being, and similarly that in years in which adolescents engage in more screen time, average psychological well-being is lower (Twenge, Martin, & Campbell, 2018).…”