May 29, 2024

expert reaction to study of real-world adolescent smart phone use and mood

A study published in PLOS ONE looks at adolescent smartphone use and mood. 

Prof Pete Etchells, Professor of Psychology and Science Communication, Bath Spa University, said:

“The study uses a technique called ecological momentary analysis to look at in-the-moment data about whether people are on their phone, how long they’ve been on their phone, and how they feel. This is a really useful methodological technique that overcomes some of limitations of other types of self-report study, which are often conducted days, weeks or months later, and therefore prone to people misremembering or being inexact with time estimates.

“However, as with many studies in this area, the study doesn’t offer us much in terms of useful insights. The results show a positive association between phone use and positive mood, but scientists have been arguing for years that sheer screen time isn’t a meaningful concept – rather, understanding what we’re doing on our phones, and why, are important. This study doesn’t capture that sort of detail.

“The positive association found here is small, and in line with many other studies, suggests that digital tech use isn’t a major driver of mood (good or bad). However, despite this positive finding – i.e. phone use linked to better mood – the authors suggest that this result can be considered in terms of phones being harmful. That is, if people feel better after using their phones, this could be construed as a form of mood management, which is a feature of behavioural addiction. I found this suggestion going beyond the evidence somewhat – again, because we don’t know precisely what any of the participants were actually doing on their phones. For even seemingly positive findings to be framed in terms of harm and addiction, when the evidence is not sufficiently strong to be confident of this, suggests that we’re still stuck with very limited, and arguably unhelpful, theoretical frameworks within which to consider technology use. If we want to move the field forward, we need to think more broadly, and more accurately, about how we develop relationships with digital technology – both positive and negative.”

Dr Nicola Kalk, Visiting Clinical Lecturer at King’s College London said:

“This was a carefully done study which used ecological momentary assessment to investigate the impact of smartphone use on adolescent moods in real time in a healthy community convenience sample.  The question is important because using smartphones to manage mood may be an important driver in problematic smartphone use.  Confounding variables were adjusted for appropriately.  The main finding was that smartphone use was associated with an increase in mood – my comment would be that the mood shifts were relatively small – from an average visual analogue rating of 4.9 (where 1 is worst and 7 is best) to an average visual analogue rating of 5.31 – and thus it isn’t clear to me that they represent clinically meaningful change.”

(from our colleagues in Germany) Prof Kathrin Karsay, Assistant Professor at the Department of Communication at the University of Vienna, said:

Methodology of the study:
“The methodology is in line with the current state of-the-art and the general trend in this area to strive for increasingly detailed measurements, as applied in this mobile experience sampling study. The method offers numerous advantages over traditional survey studies. In particular, it should be emphasised that the respondents are interviewed during use (in-situ), which brings the measurement very close to everyday events. As a result, memory biases can be avoided or reduced, and the repeated, multiple surveys – 30 measurements over six days – allow researchers to make statements at the individual level.”
“This study provides evidence that young people report a better mood when using their smartphone than when not using it or before using it. However, the question about mood before mobile phone use must be assessed critically because the participants had to reflect on their past mood and not their current mood. Therefore, a so-called contrast effect – i.e., a response bias – is to be expected. Nevertheless, the result remains the same even if this part of the study is ignored and only those who have used the mobile phone are compared with those who have not.”
“The results are not representative of young people in general due to the convenience sampling strategy.”
“Recruitment via Facebook advertising is not unusual and should not be seen as problematic per se. I cannot make any statements about funding via the Facebook Youth Research Fund. However, the authors state that the funding body did not influence the study design, data collection, analysis or further steps.”

Possible mechanisms
“As already mentioned by the authors, mood management theory provides a suitable theoretical basis for explaining these findings. The theory states that people select media content to meet their current emotional needs. This means that media content is selected to enhance positive or alleviate negative mood to achieve optimal emotional balance.”
“We also know that young people favor entertaining and hedonistic media content, so this theory is reasonable. However, the study does not indicate which apps or content the participants used on their mobile phones, so attempts to explain this remain rather vague. In addition, the mood management theory dates back to the 1980s, and the media environment has changed drastically since then. In times of permanent connectivity via smartphones, new challenges arise. Reaching for one’s mobile phone quickly and repeatedly when bored, in a bad mood, or having other unpleasant feelings can lead to other tasks being neglected – keyword: procrastination. Feelings of guilt (‘Now I’ve wasted so much time on my mobile phone again’) can reduce or cancel out this positive mood.”

Advantages of smartphone use
“In the past, we have focused rather on the negative aspects of smartphone use and, only gradually, studies about the positive aspects that have been published.”
“Two examples: Co-use, i.e., using a smartphone together, such as watching videos together on a mobile phone or researching something together on a mobile phone, has been associated with a higher perceived quality of friendship [1].”
“Access to like-minded people and peers should also be emphasized. In a mobile experience sampling study among young people, we were able to show that sending messages (e.g., images, texts, voice messages via WhatsApp or Snapchat) was positively associated with state well-being [2].
“For marginalized groups in particular, digital media offer a critical opportunity to exchange ideas and discuss problems – anonymously if necessary.”
When asked to what extent a better mood when using smartphones is a cause for concern:
 “I don’t see any immediate cause for concern. The results are as expected, and the differences in mood are significant, but not very large. The study’s authors also offer a mature and balanced reflection on their findings.”

Indications of the addictive mechanism of smartphones
“In my opinion, the study provides evidence that smartphones are perceived as positive during use. After all, smartphones and their apps are designed to encourage users to spend as much time as possible using them. Optimized user interfaces, gamification, algorithmically curated content, endless scrolling, social rewards via likes and comments – all of these tools serve to keep users happy in the truest sense of the word – and thus attached to the device.”
“However, it is crucial to conduct further research to identify the specific types of content and their usage such as music or video streaming, messaging apps, or social media. It is also important to investigate not only the immediate effects but also the mid-term and long-term effects. For example, we should examine situations where short-term gratifications lead to long-term problems, such as delaying bedtime and putting off tasks.”

References:
[1] Stevic A et al. (2023): Co-present smartphone use, friendship satisfaction, and social isolation: The role of coping strategies. Computers in Human Behavior. DOI: 10.1016/j.chb.2023.107960.
[2] Karsay K et al. (2023): Messaging, Posting, and Browsing: A Mobile Experience Sampling Study Investigating Youth’s Social Media Use, Affective Well-Being, and Loneliness. Social Science Computer Review. DOI: 10.1177/08944393211058308.

(from our colleagues in Germany) Prof. Adrian Meier, Assistant Professorship for Communication Science, Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nürnberg, said:

Methodology of the study
“The study is interesting in terms of content and provides exciting ideas for further research. However, I do not consider the methodology to be very convincing.”
“The sample of people was drawn and composed arbitrarily; generalizing to other young people is inadmissible. In addition, it is largely unclear in this field of research whether findings from the USA or the UK can be transferred to Germany or other countries. There are some arguments against it.”
“I am particularly critical of the measurement of mood: young people were asked about their current and previous mood in the same situation. It is likely that the information on the previous mood is distorted by the current mood, for example because the current mood provides an ‘anchor’ for the assessment of the previous mood or because contrasting effects arise. The study cannot prove a real change in mood.”
“The measurement of smartphone use could also be better. Self-reporting is common in this research, but actual usage data – so-called digital trace data – would be much more informative here, as it is not as susceptible to bias as self-reporting. We know, for example, that moods have an influence on the perception of time. The assessment of the duration of one’s own smartphone use is therefore likely to be influenced by the current mood, especially as both were measured simultaneously.”

Possible mechanisms
“The fact that smartphone use and media use in general can brighten the mood for a short time is well documented by many studies. In media psychology, we speak here of so-called mood management, i.e. the learnt regulation of mood through media use. When I’m bored, for example, I reach for my smartphone and scroll through social media, watch a YouTube video or play a mobile game and then perhaps I feel entertained, distracted from worries or can briefly escape from certain stresses. This can have positive short-term effects on your mood and serve as a quick recovery in a stressful day.”
“However, such mood-enhancing effects are not evident in all studies and for all people. It is also unclear whether this can also result in a longer-term improvement in mood – i.e. general affective well-being. And finally, a coping strategy centred on media use can also become dysfunctional when dealing with one’s own emotions, such as boredom or stress. This is when I no longer tackle solvable problems and challenges, but mainly avoid them. Emotions are always also signals to yourself that can provide important information about the need for change in a situation or in everyday life in general.”

Benefits of smartphone use on children and adolescents
“Some relevant studies can demonstrate short-term improvements in mood through the use of smartphones and social media in adolescents and young adults, including European countries such as the Netherlands, Germany and Switzerland [3] [4] [5].”

Evidence of the addictive mechanism of smartphones
“In my opinion, the study does not show any significant improvement in mood.”
“In principle, however, I see no cause for concern in the short-term improvements in mood – in many everyday situations, all we have to do is regulate our moods, for example to cope with stress or reduce boredom. Not all problems and stresses can be addressed immediately. Instead, it can be useful to first deal with our own emotions and improve our mood. Mood-regulating media use is therefore not always problematic – think of watching a series or a film to relax after a hard day’s work. Millions of people do this every day and very few would describe it as ‘media addiction’ per se. The media habits of the generations are currently very different – young people are more likely to turn to TikTok and Instagram to regulate their mood than to television. However, this does not necessarily result in problematic addictive behavior.”

References:
[3] Beyens I et al. (2021): Social media use and adolescents’ well-being: Developing a typology of person-specific effect patterns. Communication Research. DOI: 10.1177/00936502211038196.
[4] Marciano L et al. (2022): Dynamics of adolescents’ smartphone use and well-being are positive but ephemeral. Scientific Reports. DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-05291-y.
[5] Meier A et al. (2020): Instagram inspiration: How upward comparison on social network sites can contribute to well-being. Journal of Communication. DOI: 10.1093/joc/jqaa025.

Prof Andrew Przybylski, Professor of Human Behaviour and Technology, Oxford Internet Institute, University of Oxford, said:

“This study was generally well done, and should be viewed with cautious interest. I appreciate the use of Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA) to capture real-time data, as this method minimizes recall bias and provides more accurate insights into the immediate effects of smartphone use. This approach aligns need for creative ways to study how smartphone use and adolescent well-being are linked.

“While the study suggests that smartphone use is associated with mood improvements in adolescents, I believe it’s crucial to consider the context and individual differences that might influence these outcomes. For instance, the impact of smartphone use can vary significantly depending on the type of activity and the developmental stage of the user.

“Although these findings could be interpreted as telling a positive story about technology these associations are quite small and are in line with what we’ve seen before where teens use of tech accounts for less than 1% of teen well-being, for good or ill.

“Overall, while the findings are intriguing, I would stress the need for further research to explore long-term effects and to differentiate between various types of smartphone activities. It’s important to approach these conclusions with a balanced perspective, recognizing that the effects of smartphone use on well-being are complex and multifaceted. Furthermore, it’s critical that this work includes open data, analysis code, and the pre-registration of hypotheses in advance of data collection. Increased transparency and rigour are badly needed to improve this research area.”

‘Real-world adolescent smartphone use is associated with improvements in mood: An ecological momentary assessment study’ by Matt Minich and Megan Moreno et al. was published in PLOS ONE at 19:00 UK time Wednesday 29 May.

DOI: doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0298422

Declared interests

Prof Pete Etchells: is the author of Unlocked: The real science of screen time (and how to spend it better) and Lost in a Good Game (Why we play games, and what they can do for us).

Dr Nicola Kalk: No conflicts of interest

Prof Kathrin Karsay: “I have no conflicts of interest with regard to the subject matter of the study or with the study authors.”

Prof. Adrian Meier: “There are no conflicts of interest.”

Prof Andrew Przybylski: Professor Przybylski’s work is financially supported by the Huo Family Foundation, UK Research and Innovation, and the Economic and Social Research Council. In previous years, his research was funded by The British Academy, The Diana Award, The Leverhulme Trust, Barnardo’s, and the University of Oxford’s John Fell Fund.  He is currently contributing as a scientific advisor to the Sync Digital Wellbeing Program, and he conducts his research in line with the University of Oxford’s academic integrity code of practice.