The role of social support in mitigating the effects of increased screen time on adolescent mental health.

Excessive screen time has been linked to deteriorating mental health in adolescents, a relationship potentially intensified during the COVID-19 pandemic. Conversely, supportive social environments are associated with improved mental well-being. This study examined the association between screen time, social/emotional support, and mental health among adolescents during the pandemic using data from the 2022 National Health Interview Survey's Sample Child Interview. The analysis focused on adolescents aged 12 to 17. Mental health outcomes included (1) the frequency of feeling sad or depressed and (2) a life satisfaction score. Key independent variables were daily screen time exceeding two hours and consistent receipt of needed social or emotional support. Ordinary least squares regressions with survey weights were applied to ensure nationally representative findings. The study included 2,649 adolescents, with 81% reporting over two hours of daily screen time and 76% consistently receiving social support. Regression results indicated that adolescents with less than two hours of daily screen time and consistent social support reported the lowest frequency of depressive symptoms (coef = 0.79, p<0.001) and the highest life satisfaction scores (coef = 1.34, p<0.001) compared to their peers with greater screen time and/or inconsistent social support. These findings highlight the importance of managing screen time and ensuring robust social support to promote adolescent mental health.