Excessive Screen Time Linked to Manic Symptoms in Teens

The following is excerpted from an online article posted by News-Medical.

A recent study published in Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology examines the association between excessive screen time and manic symptoms in early adolescence.

Current estimates indicate the average adolescent spends over eight hours every day using screens in the United States, which is a rise of nearly two-fold as compared to before the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Increased screen time among adolescents has been accompanied by a rise in mental health issues, with about 29% of American youth currently experiencing mental health problems.

Despite these observations, the association between manic symptoms and screen time in adolescence remains unclear. Manic symptoms include feelings of high energy, elated or irritable mood, extreme self-importance, needing little sleep, being easily distractable, impulsive behaviors, having thoughts that race or jump from one topic to another, stubborn, and overindulging in pleasurable activities.

In the current study, researchers identified associations, if any, between screen time and manic symptoms in adolescents, and whether problematic use characterized by addiction, conflict, relapse, and withdrawal contributes to this association.

Data were obtained from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study, which comprised 9,243 participants between 10 and 11 years of age. Six different types of screen use were assessed by self-reported survey in the first year of the study, of which included television, video games, texting, watching videos, video chatting, and social media.

The analysis identified a correlation between increased screen time and the risk of manic symptoms after one year. This association was observed for overall screen time, as well as social media, videos, texting, and video games. Texting and social media were most strongly associated with manic symptoms, even after adjusting for confounding factors.

Problematic social media use may explain 48% of the increased risk for manic symptoms, whereas video game use mediates 58% of this risk. Sleep duration in the second year accounts for 9% of the risk of manic symptoms.

The study findings indicate that limiting screen engagement among adolescent users could help prevent manic symptoms that predict the onset of BSD. Alternatively, early identification of manic symptoms could target individuals who would benefit from secondary prevention.

Source: News-Medical
https://www.news-medical.net/news/20250225/Excessive-screen-time-linked-to-manic-symptoms-in-teens.aspx