Teens Vulnerability to Increased Screen Time leads to more Anxiety and Depression

Question

Smartphone ownership has increased dramatically, and with it, an increase in the negative effects such as severe anxiety and depression. Especially due to the pandemic, the lack of socialization made these effects worse, increasing internet scrolling and therefore affecting their mood.

Comments

I think this is true and the resource is reliable because it is based on many articles. This resource was written in 2019, it focuses on the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the pandemic is over, and the information may be outdated for discussing the present. I think it would be better to include whether the situation has changed or remained the same. Here is the information I searched:

Research from 2024 shows that using smartphones and social media can lead to more anxiety and depression in teenagers. The American Psychological Association (APA) says that social media can hurt teens' mental health, and it makes them feel bad about themselves and encourages them to compare to others. Additionally, according to CDC studies, many teenagers who use smartphones a lot are still dealing with anxiety and depression after the pandemic. This behavior is strongly related to making mental health problems worse.

https://www.apa.org/monitor/2024/04/teen-social-use-mental-health

Also, the reason why getting more anxiety and depression is not only increasing smartphone ownership but also other factors. A recent study by Columbia University shows that during the pandemic, teens’ symptoms of depression and anxiety increased sharply, and these effects have continued even after the pandemic. The survey of about 64,000 adolescents (ages 13–18) from North America and Iceland found that not getting enough sleep and not having enough support from parents are linked to worse mental health in teens.

https://www.publichealth.columbia.edu/news/pandemic-has-lasting-effects-teen-mental-health-substance-use

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The source you used is very credible and accumulates information from an abundant amount of other credible sources. However, the article itself mentions that "Despite correlational evidence pointing to adverse effects, more research needs to be conducted to determine the causal effect of digital media on anxiety and depression", so claiming that  increased screen time leads to severe anxiety and depression is not fully true.

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Your insights about the 2019 resource are valid, especially with recent data showing ongoing impacts of smartphone and social media on teen mental health. Citing the APA, CDC, and Columbia study strengthens your argument by highlighting that these issues persist beyond the pandemic.

Answer 1

This claim and article is well-based in reliable sources and multiple different perspectives. The information was sourced in the last 2-5 years from majorly credible sources. The first institution they refer to is a Wall Street Journal's research report, Facebook Knows Instagram Is Toxic for Teen Girls, Company Documents Show. This article displays a direct correlation between social media usage and declination in mental health with commentary and research from mental health professionals along with documentation from Facebook itself.

The other most notable source was a quote from the President and founder of Children and Screens, Dr. Pam Hurst-Della Pietra. Dr. Peitra has a BA from Cornell along with a MD in pediatrics from New York College of Osteopathic Medicine. Children and Screens is an organization focused solely on the impact of technology and media on children and their development. She says, "Social comparison, the pressure, the fear of missing out takes a hit on their self-esteem about their lives, their bodies, and their relationships.". This information backs their claim that social media has a direct impact on children's development and mental state. 

The main problem with this claim is there is not enough information to directly correlate anxiety and depression diagnoses. While it is accurate to say that technology and social media have a large impact on development and social awarenesses, it is inaccurate to completely associate it with anxiety and depression.

Answer 2

The article you used is very credible and uses credible sources to get its information like Common Sense Media and Children and Screens. However, the claim you made that the effects are "severe anxiety and depression" are false since even the article claims, "We really don't have the answer yet," when asked if there's a correlation with teens being depressed and excessive screen time. It might be more helpful to mention that there is a possibility that there's a correlation, but there needs to be more studies to confirm it. The article was written in 2021, so finding more current articles to help back up your claim would add to the credibility. In 2023, The Yale School of Medicine agrees and says that, "It found that youth who spent the most time on their digital technology were statistically more likely to exhibit higher levels of internalizing problems two years later. Internalizing problems include depression, anxiety, social anxiety, somatic complaints, and other concerns. ( https://medicine.yale.edu/news-article/yale-study-probes-connection-between-excessive-screen-media-activity-and-mental-health-problems-in-youth/#:~:text=It%20found%20that%20youth%20who,somatic%20complaints%2C%20and%20other%20concerns. ) In 2022, the National Library of Medicine claims that, "screen time is a predictor of depressive symptoms." ( https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9815119/ ) Doing some extra research would have drastically increased your credibility and helped prove your claim.

Comments

You handled this answering process very professionally. Firstly mentioning that the sources used were actually credible however the claim made was false and why it was false even using dates and multiple extra sources.

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Using a governmental source like the National Library of Medicine allows for incredibly credible fact-checking.

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The ability to fully read the article and spot the discrepancy between the claim and the actually cited article allows for your response to be very professional and well-guided. As well, using sources such as the National Library of Medicine and The Yale School for Medicine allows for me as a reader to better believe you because they are sources that have lots of credibility behind them.