Dataset Information

Does Objectively Measured Social-Media or Smartphone Use Predict Depression, Anxiety, or Social Isolation Among Young Adults?

ABSTRACT: Despite a plethora of research, the link between digital technology use and psychological distress among young adults remains inconclusive. Findings in this area are typically undermined by methodological limitations related to measurement, study design, and statistical analysis. Addressing these limitations, we examined the prospective, within-person associations between three aspects of objectively-measured digital technology use (smartphone use duration and frequency; social media use duration) and three aspects of psychological distress (depression, anxiety, and social isolation) among a sample of young adults (N = 384). Across 81 different model specifications, we found that most within-person prospective effects between digital technology use and psychological distress were statistically non-significant and all were very small-even the largest effects were unlikely to register a meaningful impact on a person's psychological distress. In post hoc subgroup analyses, we found scant evidence for the claim that digital technology use is more harmful for women and/or younger people.

SUBMITTER: Sewall CJR

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9671480 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Does Objectively Measured Social-Media or Smartphone Use Predict Depression, Anxiety, or Social Isolation Among Young Adults?

Sewall Craig J R CJR Goldstein Tina R TR Wright Aidan G C AGC Rosen Daniel D

Clinical psychological science : a journal of the Association for Psychological Science 20220325 5

Despite a plethora of research, the link between digital technology use and psychological distress among young adults remains inconclusive. Findings in this area are typically undermined by methodological limitations related to measurement, study design, and statistical analysis. Addressing these limitations, we examined the prospective, within-person associations between three aspects of objectively-measured digital technology use (smartphone use duration and frequency; social media use duratio ...[more]

PMID: 36406004

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Project description:BackgroundThe assessment of behaviors related to mental health typically relies on self-report data. Networked sensors embedded in smartphones can measure some behaviors objectively and continuously, with no ongoing effort.ObjectiveThis study aims to evaluate whether changes in phone sensor-derived behavioral features were associated with subsequent changes in mental health symptoms.MethodsThis longitudinal cohort study examined continuously collected phone sensor data and symptom severity data, collected every 3 weeks, over 16 weeks. The participants were recruited through national research registries. Primary outcomes included depression (8-item Patient Health Questionnaire), generalized anxiety (Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item scale), and social anxiety (Social Phobia Inventory) severity. Participants were adults who owned Android smartphones. Participants clustered into 4 groups: multiple comorbidities, depression and generalized anxiety, depression and social anxiety, and minimal symptoms.ResultsA total of 282 participants were aged 19-69 years (mean 38.9, SD 11.9 years), and the majority were female (223/282, 79.1%) and White participants (226/282, 80.1%). Among the multiple comorbidities group, depression changes were preceded by changes in GPS features (Time: r=-0.23, P=.02; Locations: r=-0.36, P<.001), exercise duration (r=0.39; P=.03) and use of active apps (r=-0.31; P<.001). Among the depression and anxiety groups, changes in depression were preceded by changes in GPS features for Locations (r=-0.20; P=.03) and Transitions (r=-0.21; P=.03). Depression changes were not related to subsequent sensor-derived features. The minimal symptoms group showed no significant relationships. There were no associations between sensor-based features and anxiety and minimal associations between sensor-based features and social anxiety.ConclusionsChanges in sensor-derived behavioral features are associated with subsequent depression changes, but not vice versa, suggesting a directional relationship in which changes in sensed behaviors are associated with subsequent changes in symptoms.

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Dataset Information

Does Objectively Measured Social-Media or Smartphone Use Predict Depression, Anxiety, or Social Isolation Among Young Adults?

Publications

Does Objectively Measured Social-Media or Smartphone Use Predict Depression, Anxiety, or Social Isolation Among Young Adults?

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