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Analysis

Smartphones, social media use and youth mental health

Elia Abi-Jaoude, Karline Treurnicht Naylor and Antonio Pignatiello
CMAJ February 10, 2020 192 (6) E136-E141; DOI: https://doi.org/10.1503/cmaj.190434
Elia Abi-Jaoude
Department of Psychiatry (Abi-Jaoude, Pignatiello), The Hospital for Sick Children; Department of Psychiatry (Abi-Jaoude), Toronto Western Hospital, University Health Network; Department of Psychiatry (Treurnicht Naylor), University of Toronto; Faculty of Medicine (Pignatiello), University of Toronto, Toronto, Ont.
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Karline Treurnicht Naylor
Department of Psychiatry (Abi-Jaoude, Pignatiello), The Hospital for Sick Children; Department of Psychiatry (Abi-Jaoude), Toronto Western Hospital, University Health Network; Department of Psychiatry (Treurnicht Naylor), University of Toronto; Faculty of Medicine (Pignatiello), University of Toronto, Toronto, Ont.
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Antonio Pignatiello
Department of Psychiatry (Abi-Jaoude, Pignatiello), The Hospital for Sick Children; Department of Psychiatry (Abi-Jaoude), Toronto Western Hospital, University Health Network; Department of Psychiatry (Treurnicht Naylor), University of Toronto; Faculty of Medicine (Pignatiello), University of Toronto, Toronto, Ont.
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  • RE: Smartphones, social media use and youth mental health
    Barbara A. McElgunn
    Posted on: 10 March 2020
  • RE: Response to Messrs. Laur
    Elia Abi-Jaoude, Karline Treurnicht Naylor and Antonio Pignatiello
    Posted on: 20 February 2020
  • RE: Peer Reviewed Studies Not Mentioned In Your Lit Review
    Darren Laur
    Posted on: 12 February 2020
  • Posted on: (10 March 2020)
    RE: Smartphones, social media use and youth mental health
    • Barbara A. McElgunn, retired Health Policy Advisor, Learning Disabilities Association of Canada

    Research and policy regarding the effects of our digital world on mental health should consider the fact that radiation from electromagnetic fields can affect the brain. The $25 million study by the US National Toxicology Program, used 2G and 3G wireless exposures, and reported changes in DNA in the frontal lobe and hippocampus - regions of the brain important for learning, memory, and behaviour. These effects occurred in the experimental rodents, but not the controls. There is a large body of published research evidence on many non-thermal biological effects of Rf/EMF radiation, however few, if any studies have been carried out using fifth generation 5G wireless.

    Pall ML. Microwave electromagnetic fields (EMFs) produce widespread neuropsychiatric effects including depression. Journal of Chemical Neuroanatomy 2016;75:47-51.

    Competing Interests: None declared.
  • Posted on: (20 February 2020)
    RE: Response to Messrs. Laur
    • Elia Abi-Jaoude, Psychiatrist, Department of Psychiatry, The Hospital for Sick Children, University Health Network
    • Other Contributors:
      • Karline Treurnicht Naylor, Psychiatry Resident
      • Antonio Pignatiello, Psychiatrist

    We thank Messrs. Darren and Brandon Laur for highlighting a number of studies published since the past year that did not find a significant correlation between social media and smartphone use and mental health difficulties. This is a very rapidly growing field, with hundreds of studies – both negative and positive – published in the last year alone. Thus, any manuscript going through the peer review process will necessarily miss the most recent studies.

    Nevertheless, while our paper focuses on the potential challenges from smartphone and social media use, we do describe findings that show no negative impact on mental health, and those showing positive effects. Heterogeneous findings across and within studies are likely the result of multiple factors, in particular those related to context and inter-individual differences. This is a complex area that will continue to evolve, especially as society continues to adapt to the important changes in interpersonal communication in recent years, and there will likely be generational cohort effects.

    As to the potential role of social media to increase access to mental health care, this as an important and separate topic that is beyond the scope of our analysis. Nonetheless, as we state in our paper, “for adolescents today, who have not known a world without social media, digital interactions are the norm, and the potential benefits of online access to productive mental health information — including media literacy,...

    Show More

    We thank Messrs. Darren and Brandon Laur for highlighting a number of studies published since the past year that did not find a significant correlation between social media and smartphone use and mental health difficulties. This is a very rapidly growing field, with hundreds of studies – both negative and positive – published in the last year alone. Thus, any manuscript going through the peer review process will necessarily miss the most recent studies.

    Nevertheless, while our paper focuses on the potential challenges from smartphone and social media use, we do describe findings that show no negative impact on mental health, and those showing positive effects. Heterogeneous findings across and within studies are likely the result of multiple factors, in particular those related to context and inter-individual differences. This is a complex area that will continue to evolve, especially as society continues to adapt to the important changes in interpersonal communication in recent years, and there will likely be generational cohort effects.

    As to the potential role of social media to increase access to mental health care, this as an important and separate topic that is beyond the scope of our analysis. Nonetheless, as we state in our paper, “for adolescents today, who have not known a world without social media, digital interactions are the norm, and the potential benefits of online access to productive mental health information — including media literacy, creativity, self-expression, sense of belonging and civic engagement — as well as low barriers to resources such as crisis lines and Internet-based talking therapies cannot be discounted.”

    Finally, while we believe the evidence supports a likely role of smartphones and social media in mental health struggles among youth, this is unlikely to be the sole explanation. Rather, there are likely other factors, including socioeconomic and cultural, that are interacting and contributing to the recent trends in youth mental distress. It is imperative that such factors be thoroughly investigated and that we respond swiftly and thoughtfully with – as we conclude in our paper – “initiatives aimed at addressing the social, environmental and economic factors that underpin family well-being and nurture youth resilience.”

    Show Less
    Competing Interests: None declared.
  • Posted on: (12 February 2020)
    RE: Peer Reviewed Studies Not Mentioned In Your Lit Review
    • Darren Laur, Digital Literacy Educator, PPS

    We are wondering why in your academic literature review paper, you did not cite the research in these very recent peer reviewed studies that show a statistically insignificant correlation between tech and mental health:

    Coyne, S. M., Rogers, A. A., Zurcher, J. D., Stockdale, L., & Booth, M. (2020). Does time spent using social media impact mental health?: An eight year longitudinal study. Computers in Human Behavior, 104, 106160. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2019.106160
    Heffer, T., Good, M., Daly, O., MacDonell, E., & Willoughby, T. (2019). The Longitudinal Association Between Social-Media Use and Depressive Symptoms Among Adolescents and Young Adults: An Empirical Reply to Twenge et al. (2018). Clinical Psychological Science, 7(3), 462–470. https://doi.org/10.1177/2167702618812727
    Jensen, M., George, M. J., Russell, M. R., & Odgers, C. L. (2019). Young Adolescents’ Digital Technology Use and Mental Health Symptoms: Little Evidence of Longitudinal or Daily Linkages. Clinical Psychological Science, 7(6), 1416–1433. https://doi.org/10.1177/2167702619859336
    Jensen, M., & Odgers, C. (2020). Annual Research Review: Adolescent mental health in the digital age: facts, fears, and future directions. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry....

    Show More

    We are wondering why in your academic literature review paper, you did not cite the research in these very recent peer reviewed studies that show a statistically insignificant correlation between tech and mental health:

    Coyne, S. M., Rogers, A. A., Zurcher, J. D., Stockdale, L., & Booth, M. (2020). Does time spent using social media impact mental health?: An eight year longitudinal study. Computers in Human Behavior, 104, 106160. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2019.106160
    Heffer, T., Good, M., Daly, O., MacDonell, E., & Willoughby, T. (2019). The Longitudinal Association Between Social-Media Use and Depressive Symptoms Among Adolescents and Young Adults: An Empirical Reply to Twenge et al. (2018). Clinical Psychological Science, 7(3), 462–470. https://doi.org/10.1177/2167702618812727
    Jensen, M., George, M. J., Russell, M. R., & Odgers, C. L. (2019). Young Adolescents’ Digital Technology Use and Mental Health Symptoms: Little Evidence of Longitudinal or Daily Linkages. Clinical Psychological Science, 7(6), 1416–1433. https://doi.org/10.1177/2167702619859336
    Jensen, M., & Odgers, C. (2020). Annual Research Review: Adolescent mental health in the digital age: facts, fears, and future directions. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry. https://doi.org/10.1111/jcpp.13190
    Orben, A., & Przybylski, A. K. (2019a). The association between adolescent well-being and digital technology use. Nature Human Behaviour, 3(2), 173–182. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41562-018-0506-1
    Orben, A., & Przybylski, A. K. (2019b). Screens, Teens, and Psychological Well-Being: Evidence From Three Time-Use-Diary Studies. Psychological Science, 30(5), 682–696. https://doi.org/10.1177/0956797619830329

    The authors do not speak to how social media can actually help those who do have mental wellness challenges as discussed in this Canadian report:

    Mental Health, Technology and You. (2017). Mental Health Commission of Canada. https://www.mentalhealthcommission.ca/sites/default/files/2017-08/MHCC%2...

    Darren and Brandon Laur

    Show Less
    Competing Interests: None declared.
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Canadian Medical Association Journal: 192 (6)
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10 Feb 2020
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Smartphones, social media use and youth mental health
Elia Abi-Jaoude, Karline Treurnicht Naylor, Antonio Pignatiello
CMAJ Feb 2020, 192 (6) E136-E141; DOI: 10.1503/cmaj.190434

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Smartphones, social media use and youth mental health
Elia Abi-Jaoude, Karline Treurnicht Naylor, Antonio Pignatiello
CMAJ Feb 2020, 192 (6) E136-E141; DOI: 10.1503/cmaj.190434
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    • How has use of social media been shown to affect adolescents’ sense of self?
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