<p>A recent study involving over 50,000 Korean adolescents revealed that those using smartphones for over four hours daily exhibited higher rates of adverse mental health and substance use.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Conducted by Jin-Hwa Moon and Jong Ho Cha from Korea’s Hanyang University Medical Center, and their colleagues, the findings were presented in the open-access journal PLOS ONE on December 6, 2023.</p>

<h2><strong>Phone and internet use: Where’s the red line?</strong></h2>

<p>Previous research indicated a rise in smartphone use among adolescents, correlating with an increased risk of health issues like psychiatric disorders, sleep disturbances, eye problems, and musculoskeletal disorders.&nbsp;</p>

<p>However, some evidence suggests that certain daily internet usage may actually benefit adolescents' physical and mental health.</p>

<p>To delve deeper into the connection between smartphone use and health, Moon, Cha, and their team analysed data from the Korea Youth Risk Behavior Web-based Survey. The survey involved over 50,000 participants from 2017 to 2020.&nbsp;</p>

<h2><strong>Observations and results</strong></h2>

<p>The analysis, utilising propensity score matching to consider factors like age, sex, and socioeconomic status, showed that in 2020, 85.7 per cent of adolescents used smartphones for over 2 hours daily, up from 64.3 per cent in 2017.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Those exceeding 4 hours daily showed higher rates of stress, suicidal thoughts, and substance use. Notably, those using smartphones for 1-2 hours daily encountered fewer problems than non-users.</p>

<p><strong>Watch:&nbsp;Global smartphone market contracts 8% in Q3</strong></p>

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<p>This shows that using smartphones for up to two hours a day was beneficial to health, in comparison to not using them at all.</p>

<p>However, the problems start shadowing advantages as soon as the daily usage crosses the four-hour limit.</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/kids-using-smartphones-may-face-mental-health-issues-as-adults-reveals-study-592851"><strong>Also read:&nbsp;Kids using smartphones may face some serious mental health issues as adults, reveals study</strong></a></p>

<p>While the study doesn't confirm a causal link between smartphone use and adverse health outcomes, it provides insights that could shape guidelines for adolescent usage, particularly given the ongoing increase in daily smartphone use.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"These results can help establish smart device usage guidelines and education programs for appropriate media use," the authors write.</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>


A recent study involving over 50,000 Korean adolescents revealed that those using smartphones for over four hours daily exhibited higher rates of adverse mental health and substance use.

A recent study involving over 50,000 Korean adolescents revealed that those using smartphones for over four hours daily exhibited higher rates of adverse mental health and substance use. Conducted by Jin-Hwa Moon and Jong Ho Cha from Korea’s Hanyang University Medical Center, and their colleagues, the findings were presented in the open-access journal PLOS ONE on December 6, 2023. Phone and internet use: Where’s the red line? Previous research indicated a rise in smartphone use among adolescents, correlating with an increased risk of health issues like psychiatric disorders, sleep disturbances, eye problems, and musculoskeletal disorders. However, some evidence suggests that certain daily internet usage may actually benefit adolescents' physical and mental health. To delve deeper into the connection between smartphone use and health, Moon, Cha, and their team analysed data from the Korea Youth Risk Behavior Web-based Survey. The survey involved over 50,000 participants from 2017 to 2020. Observations and results The analysis, utilising propensity score matching to consider factors like age, sex, and socioeconomic status, showed that in 2020, 85.7 per cent of adolescents used smartphones for over 2 hours daily, up from 64.3 per cent in 2017. Those exceeding 4 hours daily showed higher rates of stress, suicidal thoughts, and substance use. Notably, those using smartphones for 1-2 hours daily encountered fewer problems than non-users. Watch: Global smartphone market contracts 8% in Q3 × This shows that using smartphones for up to two hours a day was beneficial to health, in comparison to not using them at all. However, the problems start shadowing advantages as soon as the daily usage crosses the four-hour limit. Also read: Kids using smartphones may face some serious mental health issues as adults, reveals study While the study doesn't confirm a causal link between smartphone use and adverse health outcomes, it provides insights that could shape guidelines for adolescent usage, particularly given the ongoing increase in daily smartphone use. "These results can help establish smart device usage guidelines and education programs for appropriate media use," the authors write. (With inputs from agencies)

Using smartphone for over 4 hours a day linked to high stress, suicidal thoughts: Study

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Using smartphone for over 4 hours a day linked to high stress, suicidal thoughts: Study