Digital Media Use and Mental Health of Adolescents

Adolescents’ social environments have changed considerably due to digital media, including social networking sites, smartphone technology, and online communication tools. A qualitative review of previous research, systematic reviews, meta-analyses, and scoping reviews that examine the relationship between adolescent digital media use and the mental health outcomes of children is provided within the scope of this paper. A complex connection can be found between digital media use and mental health; there are both negative effects such as depression, worry, distress, comparison, and negative effects associated with excessive use, as well as positive influences such as friendship and reduction in loneliness. A variety of factors affect the connection between the use of digital media and mental health outcomes (for example: the way in which digital media are used; the unique characteristics of each person using digital media; how the pandemic affected everyone). Finally, gaps identified in the literature on this topic are also discussed, along with potential areas for future research. Digital technologies and digital platforms that allow adolescents to connect with others on a daily basis are an important part of adolescent development, including the formation of interpersonal relationships, identity development, and emotional well-being. Increased focus on the mental health of adolescents has created a significant amount of research to study the relationship between digital media use and psychological outcomes. A qualitative synthesis of previous empirical studies, systematic reviews, and peer reviewed academic articles about how digital media affects adolescent mental health has been completed. Through a qualitative analysis, secondary data were pulled from published academic journals and other peer-reviewed sources to identify similar patterns of behavior and concepts that emerged throughout the data. There is a complex and bidirectional relationship between digital media use and mental health outcomes, as demonstrated by the synthesis. Specifically, excessive and problematic digital media usage often leads to greater anxiety, depression, stress, sleep disturbances, and low self-concept, through mechanisms of social comparison, cyberbullying, and technology dependence.