A series of studies published in the prestigious medical journal The Lancet has shed new light on the potential health risks associated with digital media use among young people.
Researchers found that just two hours of daily digital media use was associated with a higher risk of harm among people under the age of 25.
They called for “coordinated global action” to address the issue, urged technology companies to share data on the health effects of their platforms, and said governments should strengthen regulation of features that may pose risks to users.
The research comes amid several significant court cases involving social media platforms in the United States and growing scrutiny of how technology companies protect their users.
It is also expected to fuel renewed calls for reform in the United Kingdom, beyond the planned ban on social media use by under-16s, which is expected to take effect in March next year.
What Did the Study Find?
The series consists of three studies and includes a broad analysis of research covering approximately 9 million people under the age of 25.
It found that excessive digital media use, described by researchers as “problematic” use, is associated with a higher risk of mental health problems, sleep disorders and reduced physical activity.
According to the researchers, more than two hours of daily screen time could be associated globally each year with approximately 2.8 million healthy life-years lost due to depression and 240,000 years lost due to obesity.
Although the researchers emphasized that the association between “problematic” use and negative outcomes was “modest,” experts said the evidence was strong enough to justify urgent intervention.
Professor Ilona Kickbusch, chair of the research series at the Digital Transformations for Health (DTH) Lab in Switzerland, said:
“Digital media use has already become an integral part of childhood and young people’s lives.
Governments have allowed technology companies to set many of their own rules, creating business models designed to capture attention and collect data, while health has been treated as a secondary concern.
The evidence linking problematic digital media use with poorer mental health, sleep and physical activity, although not conclusive, justifies coordinated action at the global level.”
Can Platforms Do More?
Researchers were not convinced by claims from social media companies that they are taking sufficient steps to reduce potential harm to users.
Professor Barbara Prainsack of the University of Vienna argued that platforms have followed “a strategy familiar from the tobacco and fossil fuel industries: creating doubt, discrediting critics and portraying regulation as a threat to freedom.”
Dr. Jay Shaw of the University of Toronto said technology companies, rather than users or regulators, bear responsibility for how social media features are designed and presented.
“Most digital platforms are designed to capture attention and collect data, not to protect health. Features such as infinite scrolling, autoplay and personalized recommendations are deliberate design choices, not simply matters of individual self-control,” he said.
Louise Holly of DTH Lab UK argued that platforms could help reduce future harm by increasing transparency.
“The most valuable data on how these platforms actually affect users remains hidden within technology companies, limiting independent oversight and slowing scientific progress,” she said.
How Could the Study Affect Future Regulation?
The findings are expected to increase pressure on social media companies.
In the United States, a series of lawsuits, many involving Meta, the owner of Facebook and Instagram, have sought to hold platforms responsible for features alleged to be addictive and potentially harmful.
In a Los Angeles case this year, Meta and YouTube were found liable for creating mechanisms that encourage addictive use, although both companies have appealed the ruling.
TikTok and Snapchat were also named in the proceedings but reached settlements before the trial began.
Another ruling in New Mexico in August ordered Meta to change how its platforms operate and imposed a $567 million penalty over alleged harms to young people.
The company was ordered to restrict features considered addictive, improve age verification and strengthen measures against the sexual exploitation of children.
Meta has indicated that it will appeal that ruling as well.
The new findings could add weight to these legal developments and increase calls for further regulation.
While Australia and the United Kingdom have moved toward restrictions on social media use by minors, public-policy experts have warned that enforcing such bans is difficult and that governments should focus on specific platform features.
Because researchers have identified features such as infinite scrolling, autoplay and personalized recommendations as potentially harmful, future legislation could focus increasingly on limiting their impact on young people’s health.
