- Teens who used their phones for one to two hours every day were better off than non-users
- They were less likely to experience stress, depression, suicidality or alcohol abuse
- READ MORE: Suicide rates hit record levels among 50,000 Americans last year
Research shows that using your mobile phone for a few hours a day reduces the risk of mental health problems.
Researchers from Hanyang University in Korea found that people aged 13 to 18 who used their phones for less than two hours a day had a lower risk of depression, sleep problems, stress, suicidal thoughts and alcohol addiction than their peers who did not use one. all.
But more than four hours of phone time was associated with a 22 percent risk of these health problems.
While most research has shown that excessive screen time can be detrimental to our well-being, the researchers say their findings show that small amounts can be 'beneficial' when it comes to phone use at a young age.
They say some of them are good for social purposes, which helps combat loneliness and isolation. But too much can be a sign of unhappiness in other parts of people's lives, just as unhappy people are more likely to do so.
Researchers from Hanyang University in Korea found that teenagers who used their phones for one to two hours a day had fewer problems than young adults who did not use a smartphone at all
“One to two hours of use time was protective against suicide attempts… Our results show that using smartphones for less than two hours per day even appears to be beneficial for mental health compared to non-use,” the researchers said.
“Our study showed that negative effects on health outcomes manifested after four hours of smartphone use, which is consistent with previous studies,” she added.
The researchers looked at 2017 and 2020 data from 50,000 teens from the Korea Youth Risk Behavior Web-based Survey, which includes 103 questions about physical and mental health.
A questionnaire about smartphone use was also administered in 2017 and 2020.
The researchers looked at the relationship between phone use and health outcomes, taking into account other factors such as age, gender and socio-economic status.
Compared to health outcomes for people who didn't use phones, teenagers who used their phone less than two hours a day were 30 percent less likely to be stressed and 27 percent less likely to have a bad night's sleep.
They were also 38 percent less likely to be depressed, 43 percent less likely to be suicidal and 47 percent less likely to abuse alcohol.
These associations were consistent among teens who used their phones for two to four hours a day.
Compared to people who didn't use a phone at all, they were 29 percent less likely to be stressed and 34 percent less likely to be depressed.
They were also 40 percent less likely to commit suicide and 27 percent less likely to abuse alcohol.
The researchers emphasized that bias can creep into surveys, as previous studies have shown that teens with emotional regulation problems may be more prone to excessive smartphone use.
The team found that phone use had a negative effect on health outcomes when it lasted four to six hours or longer, compared to non-users.
Compared to those who used their phones for less than four hours a day, people who used them for more than four hours were more likely to be obese and have poor mental health.
It is believed that this is because they spend more time on their phones instead of exercising.
The increased use of social media is also linked to unhappiness as people compare themselves and their lives to others online.
They were also more likely to be stressed, depressed, sleep poorly and commit suicide.
The research was published in the journal PLOS ONE.
Previous research has found that about a third of all American adults are at risk of becoming addicted to their smartphones.