ArticleArchives of disease in childhood2024
Smartphone use and well-being of adolescent girls: a population-based study.
Article in Archives of disease in childhood, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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Who cites it
5 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Smartphone Apps for Preventing Adolescent Health Problems Among Health Care Professionals: Systematic Search and Quality Assessment.JMIR mHealth and uHealth · 2026Pooled it
- Article
- Connected or chained by social media? Child and adolescent mental health in a digital era.PLoS medicine · 2026Article
- Associations of academic performance, sports participation, disordered eating and menstrual cycle irregularities in adolescents: a population-based study.BMJ open sport & exercise medicine · 2026Article
- Mobile phone addiction and negative emotions: an empirical study among adolescents in Jiangxi Province.Frontiers in psychiatry · 2025Article
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Authors and funding
3 authors.
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Abstract
BACKGROUND AND
objectivesRecent studies have reported an increasing incidence of anxiety among adolescent girls, and associated this with self-reported social media use. This study aimed to measure smartphone and social media use objectively and to evaluate its associations with measures of mental health and well-being.
methodsIn autumn 2022, we recruited a cohort of 1164 first-year female students from 21 socioeconomically diverse high schools. Students responded to an online survey comprising validated questionnaires (Bergen Social Media Addiction Scale (BSMAS), Generalised Anxiety Disorder-7, and Body Appreciation Scale 2) and visual analogue scales of current health, mood, tiredness, and loneliness. We also requested that they attach screenshots depicting their smartphone use.
resultsAmong participants (mean age 16.3 years), 16% (n=183) had possible social media addiction and 37% (n=371) exceeded the cut-off for possible anxiety disorders. The BSMAS scores were associated with higher anxiety (r=0.380) and poorer body image (r=-0.268), poorer health (r=-0.252), lower mood (r=-0.261), greater tiredness (r=0.347), and greater loneliness (r=0.226) (p<0.001 for all). Among the 564 adolescents (48%) who sent screenshots of their smartphone use, average daily use was 5.8 hours (SD 2.2), including 3.9 hours (SD 2.0) of social media. Participants who sent screenshots had a higher grade point average than participants without screenshot data, but similar BSMAS and well-being measures.
conclusionsConsistent with other studies, we found social media addiction was common among adolescent girls and was associated with poorer mental health and well-being. Measures should be taken to protect adolescents from the potential harmful effects of social media use.
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