Spending hours in front of digital screen may be harmful for adolescents. However, but moderate use may not harm but increase their well-being, researchers say.
“Digital screens are now an inextricable part of modern childhood. Our findings suggest that adolescents’ moderate screen use has no detectable link to well-being and levels of engagement above these points are modestly correlated with well-being,” said lead researcher Andrew Przybylski, psychological scientist at the University of Oxford.
The findings showed that as a result of a digital “sweet spot” between low and high technology use, moderate screen time can increase teenagers’ well-being.
This sweet spot benefits teenagers’ well-being by providing opportunities to develop social connections and skills, the researchers said.