A new study by researchers at Columbia and Cornell universities has found that addictive use of social media, video games, or mobile phones—but not total screen time—is linked to worse mental health in preteens.
Published June 18 in JAMA, the study followed nearly 4,300 children starting at age 8 over four years, tracking how their screen use changed. It defined addictive use as excessive screen time that interfered with schoolwork, home duties, or other activities.
The study found addictive use was common but varied by screen type and over time. About half the children reported high addictive use of mobile phones from the start, which stayed high through early adolescence. Another 25% showed increasing addictive use as they grew older. For social media, roughly 40% had high or rising addictive use. Video game use showed two main patterns: high or low, without a group that increased over time.
Both consistently high and increasing addictive screen use were tied to poorer mental health, including anxiety, depression, aggression, and suicidal thoughts or behaviors.
“These kids crave screen use and find it hard to stop,” said psychiatrist J. John Mann of Columbia University and the New York State Psychiatric Institute, a senior leader of the study. He urged parents who see these problems to seek professional help.
Unlike earlier studies focused on total screen time, this research mapped how addictive use develops over time, offering new insights into when and for whom risks appear. “Policy should move away from generic screen time limits and focus on spotting and addressing addictive patterns,” said Yunyu Xiao, PhD, lead author and assistant professor at Weill Cornell Medicine.
Mann added that repeated assessments are important as some children shift from low to higher risk during adolescence.
The study analyzed data from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study, using questions about screen use habits such as, “I play video games to forget my problems,” or “I feel the need to use social media apps more and more.” These helped identify addictive use patterns and their link to mental health.
About 5% of participants showed suicidal behaviors by the study’s fourth year. Children with high or increasing addictive use of social media or phones had two to three times greater risk of suicidal thoughts and behaviors than those with low addictive use. Total screen time showed no connection to suicide-related or mental health issues.
This suggests that prevention efforts should focus on addictive screen use rather than total screen time. Mann said more research is needed to develop and test intervention strategies, and it is still unclear whether total screen access must be cut or simply limited. “Partial access can quickly reinforce addiction,” he noted.
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