Screens, Teens, and Psychological Well-Being: Evidence From Three Time-Use-Diary Studies

TLDR

The claim that digital‑screen use harms adolescent well‑being is widely discussed, yet empirical evidence remains inconclusive and largely based on limited, self‑report studies. This study seeks to clarify the link between digital‑screen engagement and adolescent well‑being by applying improved methodological and analytical approaches. Using exploratory and confirmatory designs, the authors analyzed time‑use‑diary data on digital‑screen engagement from three nationally representative samples (Ireland, US, UK) totaling 17,247 adolescents. The analysis revealed little evidence of substantial negative associations between digital‑screen engagement—overall or before bedtime—and adolescent well‑being.

Abstract

The notion that digital-screen engagement decreases adolescent well-being has become a recurring feature in public, political, and scientific conversation. The current level of psychological evidence, however, is far removed from the certainty voiced by many commentators. There is little clear-cut evidence that screen time decreases adolescent well-being, and most psychological results are based on single-country, exploratory studies that rely on inaccurate but popular self-report measures of digital-screen engagement. In this study, which encompassed three nationally representative large-scale data sets from Ireland, the United States, and the United Kingdom ( N = 17,247 after data exclusions) and included time-use-diary measures of digital-screen engagement, we used both exploratory and confirmatory study designs to introduce methodological and analytical improvements to a growing psychological research area. We found little evidence for substantial negative associations between digital-screen engagement-measured throughout the day or particularly before bedtime-and adolescent well-being.