Using a cell phone for two hours a day may LOWER risk of mental health problems, study suggests

Using your cell phone for a couple of hours a day may lower the risk of mental health problems, a study has suggested.

Researchers from Hanyang University in Korea found that people aged 13 to 18 who used their phone for less than two hours a day had a lower risk of depression, sleep issues, stress, suicidal thoughts and alcohol addiction than their peers who did not use one at all.

But over four hours of phone time was associated with up to a 22 percent risk of those health problems. 

While most research has shown that excessive screen time can be detrimental to our wellbeing, the researchers say their findings show that small amounts can be ‘beneficial’ when it comes to phone use in young adulthood.

They say some is good for social purposes, which helps fight loneliness and isolation. But too much may be a sign of unhappiness in other parts of people’s lives, as unhappy people may be more likely to .

Researchers from Hanyang University in Korea found that teens who used their phone for one to two hours a day had fewer problems than young adults who did not use a smartphone at all

‘One to two hours of usage time was protective against suicide attempts… From our results, using smartphones for less than two hours a day even seems beneficial for mental health outcomes compared to non-use,’ the researchers said. 

‘Our study showed that adverse effects of health outcomes manifested after four hours of smartphone usage time, which corresponds with previous studies,’ they added.

The researchers looked at 2017 and 2020 data from 50,000 teens from the Korea Youth Risk Behavior Web-based Survey, which has 103 questions about physical and mental health.

A questionnaire about smartphone usage was also conducted in 2017 and again in 2020. 

The researchers looked at the relationship between phone usage and health outcomes, accounting for other factors such as age, sex, and socioeconomic status. 

Compared to health outcomes for people who did not use a phone, teens who used their phone for less than two hours a day were 30 percent less likely to be stressed and 27 percent less likely to have bad sleep. 

They were also 38 percent less likely to be depressed, 43 percent less likely to be suicidal and 47 percent less likely to abuse alcohol.

These associations were consistent in teens who used their phone for between two to four hours a day. 

Compared to people who did not use a phone at all, they were 29 percent less likely to be stressed and 34 percent less likely to be depressed.

They were also 40 percent less likely to be suicidal and 27 percent less likely to abuse alcohol.

The researchers highlighted that bias can creep into surveys, as previous studies have shown that teens with emotional regulation difficulties may be more prone to excessive smartphone use.

The team found that phone usage had a negative effect on health outcomes when it hit between four to six hours or more, versus non-users.

Compared to those who used their phone for less than four hours a day, people who used it for more than four were more likely to be obese and have poor mental health.

This is thought to be because they are spending more time on their phone instead of exercising.

Increased social media use is also linked to unhappiness as people compare themselves and their lives to others online. 

They also had a higher chance of being stressed, depressed, sleeping poorly, and suicidal.

The study was published in the journal PLOS ONE.

Previous research has found that around a third of all American adults are at risk of being addicted to their smartphone.