Scientists confirm: Your child's smartphone usage may be a concern

A study conducted on over 50,000 teenagers from Korea demonstrated that youngsters who use smartphones for more than four hours daily are more prone to experiencing mental health problems and have an increased likelihood of seeking psychoactive substances.

The same studies also indicated that if the time teenagers spend on their phones does not surpass four hours daily, the risks of any mental disorders or addictions equal that of individuals who don't use smartphones at all.

The study was conducted by Drs. Jin-Hwa Moon and Jong Ho Cha of Hanyang University Medical Center in Korea and published in "PLOS ONE". They highlighted that in recent years, the hours teenagers spend with their smartphones have significantly increased. According to certain scholars, this might be linked to a higher risk of various types of disorders, such as mental disorders, sleep disturbances, vision issues, or musculoskeletal disorders.

Nonetheless, increasing evidence suggests that moderate usage of electronic devices and the internet could potentially enhance the physical and mental health of youngsters.

To resolve these inconsistencies, Moon and Cha, in collaboration with their colleagues, analyzed data encompassing over 50,000 teenagers from 2017 to 2020. The data involved estimated daily smartphone usage hours and varied health parameters. The research team also considered factors that could influence the analysis outcome, such as age, gender, and socio-economic status.

Analysis revealed that over three years, the percentage of teenagers spending more than two hours daily on their smartphone had significantly risen: from 64.3% in 2017 to 85.7% in 2020. However, there was no evidence suggesting this time consumption impacted the health outcomes of these young individuals.

Proportions of youngsters utilizing a smartphone for over four hours daily also escalated, showing a clear pattern: individuals within this bracket experienced higher daily stress, harbored more suicidal thoughts, and risked higher probabilities of resorting to psychoactive substances. Intriguingly, the study also indicated that teenagers spending between one and two hours daily on their smartphones had fewer mental health issues than those who didn't use this device.

The study's authors believe that these findings can contribute in formulating guidelines for managing teenager's screen time. They concluded, "Our study shows that spending more than 4 hours daily on such devices adversely affects the health of young people."

If you or your child feel like too much time is being consumed on a smartphone, there are easy approaches to combat this. Certain applications can aid in time management on the phone, and both Android and iOS systems have built-in features enabling limitations on time spent in a specific app, as well as time tracking for overall smartphone use, handling notifications, or tracking the number of times the device has been activated.

Simply being aware of such data can improve your understanding of your screen usage. Once one realizes the amount of attention given to the screen daily, it's easier to make a conscious decision to limit time with a smartphone in hand.