Screen Addiction Linked to Higher Suicide Risk in Teens, New Study Shows

Researchers found that teens addicted to social media, phones, and video games face two to three times higher risk of suicidal thoughts and behaviors.

This is something you’d not normally see in my blog, newsletter, or website – but depression is something I’ve battled for most of my life and I felt this information was important to share. Please feel free to share this post with anyone you feel may need to read it. And if you need help immediately with issues of suicide or depression, you can find numerous resources on the Hope In The Darkness page of this website (https://weirddarkness.com/hope). — Darren Marlar, host of Weird Darkness

Major Study Tracks Over 4,000 Children

A recent study published in JAMA examined data from more than 4,000 children who have been followed for years as part of an ongoing research project. The children started the study when they were 9 to 10 years old. Scientists wanted to understand how screen use affects young people’s mental health over time.

The research team used information from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study, which tracks thousands of kids as they grow up. This large study allows researchers to see how behaviors change over several years rather than just looking at one moment in time.

Addiction Patterns Emerge by Age 14

By the time the children reached 14 years old, clear patterns had developed. About one-third of the kids showed increasing addiction to social media platforms. Around one-quarter had become increasingly addicted to their mobile phones. More than 40% displayed signs of addiction to video games.

Study author Yunyu Xiao, a professor at Weill Cornell Medicine in New York, explained that these young people were much more likely to report having thoughts about suicide and engaging in dangerous behaviors.

How Researchers Measured Addiction

The scientists used a special questionnaire to determine if children showed signs of addiction. They asked kids to respond to statements like “I spend a lot of time thinking about social media apps or planning to use social media apps” and “I try to use the social media app less, but I can’t.”

Other questions included “I feel stressed or upset if I am not allowed to use my social media apps” and “I use it so much already it has a bad effect on my schoolwork.” The researchers grouped teens based on how their answers to these questions changed over time.

Different Addiction Patterns for Each Screen Type

The study found different patterns for each type of screen use. With social media, almost 60% of teens had low levels of addiction that stayed the same over the years. About 10% had increasing addiction that peaked around the third and fourth years of the study. One-third showed increasing addiction throughout the study period.

For mobile phone use, about half of the teens showed high addiction levels, while one-quarter had increasing addiction. Video games showed only two groups. About 60% had low addiction that remained stable over time, while 41% were highly addicted throughout the entire study period.

Alarming Statistics About Suicidal Thoughts

The research also looked at suicidal thoughts and behaviors among the teens. Scientists used questionnaires that asked about both passive thoughts of suicide and active planning or attempts. By the fourth year of the study, nearly 18% of participants reported having had thoughts about suicide. Five percent admitted to suicidal behaviors, which includes making plans for suicide and actual attempts.

The groups with high and increasing addiction to mobile phones and social media faced a higher risk of suicidal thoughts and behaviors. The highly addictive video game group also had a higher risk compared to those with low addictive use.

Screen Time Alone Not the Problem

One surprising finding was that total screen time was not linked to higher suicide risk. This discovery challenges the common focus on how many hours teens spend looking at screens.

Dr. Jason Nagata, a pediatrician who specializes in adolescent screen use at the University of California, San Francisco, noted that this study provides important detail. He explained that elements of addiction related to screen use predict mental health problems better than just measuring screen time.

Nagata pointed out that people often focus on screen time because it’s easy to measure. Phone apps regularly report weekly screen time in hours and minutes. However, screen time by itself doesn’t tell the whole story about whether screen use is harmful.

Quality of Screen Use Matters More Than Quantity

Experts emphasize that what teens do during their screen time matters more than how long they spend on devices. Psychologist Mitch Prinstein from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill explained that some kids might spend screen time reading news, while others might visit dangerous websites. This makes it difficult to determine if screen time alone poses a risk.

Psychologist Mary Alvord agreed that screen time alone is not a helpful measure. She stressed the importance of understanding how teens use their screen time. For example, a teen might be talking to a friend, but parents should know if that friend is a real person or an artificial intelligence avatar. They should also consider whether teens use screens to avoid real-life situations.

Warning Signs Parents Should Watch For

Avoidance of real life serves as a major red flag. One question in the addiction assessment asks: “I play video games so I can forget about my problems.” Alvord explained that avoidance is a key symptom of both anxiety and depression. This behavior reveals important information about a teen’s mental health and relationship with screens.

Prinstein emphasized the importance of recognizing specific concerning behaviors. When kids say they cannot stop using devices even when trying, or when they experience withdrawal and dependence symptoms, these signs require attention.

How Common Screen Addiction Symptoms Are

Nagata used the same study data to track how teens use social media over time and how this affects their mental health. He found that symptoms of screen addiction are surprisingly common and often get worse as children age.

Among 11 to 12-year-olds, 47.5% said “I lose track of how much I am using my phone.” About 22.5% reported “I spend a lot of time thinking about social media apps or planning my use of social media apps.” Another 18.4% admitted “I use social media apps so I can forget about my problems.”

By ages 12 to 13, one-quarter of teens said they use social media to forget their problems. The same percentage admitted to spending considerable time thinking about social media apps.

Dramatic Increase in Social Media Use Over Time

The research revealed a sharp increase in social media use as children grew older. At the beginning of the study, kids averaged only seven minutes per day on social media. Four years later, the average time had grown to over 70 minutes daily.

The study also found that the more time kids spent on social media, the more their symptoms of depression increased. This connection between increased social media use and worsening mental health symptoms concerned researchers.

What This Means for Prevention

The research suggests that parents, teachers, and doctors should watch for warning signs of screen addiction. These signs may indicate higher risk for depression or suicide in teenagers. The study shows that addiction-like behaviors with screens pose a greater threat than simply spending a lot of time on devices.

Experts recommend paying attention to how teens interact with their devices rather than just monitoring the amount of time spent on screens. Signs of inability to control use, using devices to avoid problems, and experiencing distress when unable to use devices all warrant concern.

If you or someone you know is having an issue with thoughts of suicide, self-harm, or harming others, please get help immediately. Numerous resources for help with depression and suicidal thoughts can be found on the Hope in the Darkness page of this website: https://weirddarkness.com/HOPE.