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Impact of digital screen use on health and wellbeing of children and adolescents: A narrative review

As the world digitises, children and adolescents are increasingly using digital technologies. These devices offer benefits such as exposure to social contacts and support, potential learning opportunities and access to health promotion material. However, along with these benefits, emerging evidence is indicating that frequent, extended use of digital devices is associated with negative impacts on the health and wellbeing of children and adolescents.

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Limiting social media use decreases depression, anxiety, and fear of missing out in youth with emotional distress: A randomized controlled trial.

Although many youth may not be harmed by heavy SMU, distressed youth may be particularly vulnerable. The aim of this study was to experimentally examine the effects of reducing SMU on smartphones on symptoms of depression, anxiety, fear of missing out (FoMO), and sleep in youth with emotional distress. Compared to the control group, the intervention group showed significantly greater reductions in symptoms of depression, anxiety, and FoMO, and greater increases in sleep.

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Science

Reducing social media use improves appearance and weight esteem in youth with emotional distress

A brief 4-week intervention using screen time trackers showed that reducing social media use (SMU, experimental group) yielded significant improvements in appearance and weight esteem in distressed youth with heavy SMU, whereas unrestricted access to social media (control group) did not.

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Treating internet use disorders via the internet? Results of a two-armed randomized controlled trial

Internet Use Disorders (IUDs) are emerging as a societal challenge. Evidence-based treatment options are scarce. Digital health interventions may be promising to deliver psychological treatment to individuals with IUDs directly in their online setting. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of a digital health intervention for IUDs compared to a waitlist control group (WCG).

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Windows of developmental sensitivity to social media

The relationship between social media use and life satisfaction changes across adolescent development. Our analyses of two UK datasets comprising 84,011 participants (10–80 years old) find that the cross-sectional relationship between self-reported estimates of social media use and life satisfaction ratings is most negative in younger adolescents.

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Science

A brief internet-delivered intervention for the reduction of gaming-related harm: A feasibility study

This pre-post study recruited 50 adult gamers from New Zealand to test the feasibility of a brief internet-delivered intervention. Completers (n ​= ​35) reported a significant increase in well-being and reduction in severity, intensity, and time spent gaming, which reduced from an average of 29 to 11 ​hours per week.

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Science

Systematic review and meta-analysis of epidemiology of internet addiction

The field of internet addiction has experienced significant debates on conflicting epidemiology. This meta-analysis investigated the prevalence rates of generalized internet addiction (GIA) and internet gaming disorder (IGD).

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A systematic review: the influence of social media on depression, anxiety and psychological distress in adolescents

This systematic review synthesised evidence on the influence of social media use on depression, anxiety and psychological distress in adolescents. All domains correlated with depression, anxiety and psychological distress.

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Science

Impact of internet addiction on mental health: an integrative therapy is needed

In the past few years internet addiction (IA) and internet gaming disorder (IGD) have become very frequent, leading to many personality and psychiatric disorders including low self-esteem, impulsivity, poor sleep quality, mood disorder, and suicide. IA has been included in Appendix III of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders (DSM-5) as IGD. In addition, IA leads to many neuroanatomical and neurochemical alterations including cortical thinning of various components of the brain and altered dopaminergic reward circuitry.

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Science

Problematic digital gaming behavior and its relation to the psychological, social and physical health of Finnish adolescents and young adults

The aim of this study was to identify problematic gaming behavior among Finnish adolescents and young adults, and evaluate its connection to a variety of psychological, social, and physical health symptoms. This research emphasized that problematic gaming behavior had a strong negative correlation to a variety of subjective health outcomes.

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