The association between screen time and psychological distress in Norwegian adolescents

Abstract

Abstract Background The use of screens, especially mobile devices like tablets and smartphones have increased over the last years, and have become an integrated part of modern life. Adolescents today spend a lot of their time using screens both at school and outside school. The concerns about the impact of screens on adolescents are growing, and some expert groups have suggested controlling screen time for children and young adults. Because research is limited and screen-based utilization technologies and their patterns are changing rapidly, it is important to examine their impacts on mental health. This can help to guide public health policy on consequences of, and potential limits on screen time. The purpose of this study is to study the association between screen time and psychological distress among adolescents. Methods This study is based on self-reported cross-sectional data from the Ungdata survey conducted in 2018. The target group comprised 6777 adolescents from secondary schools in Norway. Ten items on depression and anxiety symptoms were used to create a composite measure of psychological distress. Binomial logistic regression was used to analyse the association between screen time and psychological distress. Results Preliminary results showed that the odds for psychological distress were higher for those who used screens more than 2 hours per day after school (OR: 1.83, 95% CI: 1.60-2.09), compared to those who used screens 2 hours and less per day. Further, the odds of having psychological distress were higher in girls compared to boys (OR: 3.49, 95% CI: 3.14-3.87), and in upper secondary school compared to lower secondary school (OR: 1.41, 95% CI: 1.25-1.58). Conclusions Two hours or more used on screens per day was associated with significantly higher odds for psychological distress. Hence, public health policy and practice should pay attention to consequences of screen time use in adolescence. Additional research is needed to further explore these associations. Key messages Public health policy and practice should pay attention to screen time in adolescence and its association with psychological distress. This knowledge is important to enhance mental health in adolescence.