Adolescence in the digital age: The impacts of smartphone and social media use on a cohort of Irish teenagers

Objectives This study aimed to examine specific types of online activity, such as cyberbullying and “sexting” (sending sexually explicit messages), and the independent associations of these activities with worse mental health Methods This study is a cross-sectional analysis of secondary data from the 2023 Planet Youth Partner survey. The study population was 4,544 mostly 15- and 16-year olds from Cavan, Monaghan and North County Dublin. The dependent variable was the total Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) score, a tool commonly used to assess mental health status. Independent variables included hours of social media use, experiences of cyberbullying, and involvement in sexting. Multivariable logistic regression models were employed to determine the associations between these variables and mental health outcomes, controlling for potential confounders such as gender, sleep duration, and maternal education level. Results The study found significant associations between several online activities and worse mental health. High use of social media (4 hours per day or more) was associated with a 62% greater risk of having a high SDQ score compared to those who used it for about 1 hour or less. Cyberbullying was a also strong predictor of poor mental health, with victims nearly twice as likely to have a high SDQ score. Conclusions The findings of this study suggest that specific aspects of smartphone and social media use, particularly high usage and negative online experiences, are independently associated with poorer mental health outcomes in adolescents.