Rethinking screen time and young people’s mental health
Conversations about young people’s digital technology use have long focused on one central question: How much screen time is too much? However, new evidence from the UKRI‑funded Digital Youth Programme suggests that this question may be missing the point. This research challenges existing narratives about ‘too much screen time’ and calls for a more nuanced understanding of youth online experiences.
What underpins the evidence?
At the heart of the research is the development of the Digital Activities and Feelings Inventory (DAFI), a new research tool co-designed with young people to move beyond simple measures of screen time. DAFI captures the specific digital activities young people engage in and, crucially, the psychological reactions they experience as a result, including thoughts and feelings about themselves after being online.
By focusing on both what young people do online and how those experiences affect them emotionally, DAFI provides a more detailed and meaningful picture of digital technology use. This approach allows researchers to explore the complex ways in which online experiences can shape wellbeing, rather than treating all screen time as the same.
What does the evidence show?
Using the DAFI, the study found that time spent online on its own explained relatively little variation in young people’s mental health. In contrast, the nature of young people’s online experiences and the psychological reactions linked to them were much more informative.
Certain digital activities were more strongly associated with poorer mental health outcomes. Activities involving social comparison or risky online interactions were linked to more frequent negative reactions, such as feeling stressed, angry, excluded, or unhappy with oneself. These emotional responses appeared to play an important role in explaining why some online experiences were more closely connected to mental health difficulties than others.
The findings challenge the idea that reducing screen time alone is an effective solution for supporting young people’s mental health. Instead, they suggest that discussions about digital technology use should focus on helping young people navigate online spaces in ways that minimise negative psychological impacts and promote more positive experiences.
For students, researchers, and practitioners alike, this work highlights the value of looking beyond screen time to better understand digital wellbeing. By offering a new tool and a more nuanced perspective, the study contributes to ongoing efforts to support young people’s mental health in an increasingly digital world.
The team has also worked with young people to develop animations that translate the research findings into accessible messages. These animations support young people to reflect on their own online experiences and emotional responses and encourage the development of more positive online habits.
About the research team and project
The research was conducted collaboratively by teams at Queen Mary University of London, London School of Economics and Political Science, King’s College London, and the University of Edinburgh, as part of the UKRI-funded Digital Youth Programme. The study was co-led by Professor Sonia Livingstone (LSE), Professor Edmund Sonuga-Barke (KCL), and Dr Kasia Kostyrka-Allchorne (QMUL). Further information about the project, including access to resources, is available on the Digital Youth Programme project page.