Research & Learning

How TikTok Promotes Dangerous and potentially illegal steroids and steroid-like drugs to teens

This report details how steroids and steroid-like drugs (SLDs) are promoted in TikTok videos which have gained up to 587 million views in the US alone, primarily from those under the age of 24.

Likes, Shares, and Symptoms: The Hidden Toll of Early Adolescents’ Social Media Use on Well-Being

Social media use has rapidly increased over the past decade, especially among young people. To obtain more insight into the potential negative associations with problematic social media use in Dutch early adolescents, we assessed its relation to self-reported well-being. We conducted a cross-sectional study with 585 students in their final year of primary school (11–12…

Social epidemiology of early adolescent problematic screen use in the United States

Boys reported higher problematic video game use while girls reported higher problematic social media and mobile phone use. Native American, black, and Latinx adolescents reported higher scores across all problematic screen measures compared to non-Latinx white adolescents. Having unmarried/unpartnered parents was associated with higher problematic social media use. Although higher household income was generally protective…

Gaming addiction: how the NHS is tackling the problem

As the NHS’s first and only gaming addiction clinic approaches its fifth anniversary, Chris Stokel-Walker hears about its successes and the difficulty of working without evidence

Handbook of Children and Screens Digital Media, Development, and Well-Being from Birth Through Adolescence

This handbook synthesizes the current research about the impacts of digital media on children across development. Drawing on the expertise of scientists and researchers as well as clinicians and practitioners, the book summarizes research through interdisciplinary expert reviews.

New WHO/HBSC report sheds light on adolescent digital behaviours across Europe, Central Asia and Canada

It off ers a nuanced picture ofhow adolescents are engaging with social media anddigital games, highlighting both concerning trendsand positive aspects of digital engagement.

Teens with problematic smartphone use are twice as likely to have anxiety – and many are eager to cut down

Two new studies of smartphone habits in teenagers have identified links between problematic smartphone use (PSU) and depression, anxiety, and insomnia. 

Mobile Phone Addiction Among Children and Adolescents

The review aimed to provide a comprehensive overview of mobile phone addiction among children and adolescents.

YouTube’s Anorexia Algorithm – EU

CCDH’s disturbing new findings show that YouTube’s algorithm is pushing young girls to watch videos glorifying skeletal bodies and promoting extreme diets that could lead to fatal consequences. YouTube’s algorithm is sending teenage girls into a dangerous rabbit hole that could have dangerous consequences.

YouTube’s Anorexia Algorithm – UK

CCDH’s disturbing new findings show that YouTube’s algorithm is pushing young girls to watch videos glorifying skeletal bodies and promoting extreme diets that could lead to fatal consequences. YouTube’s algorithm is sending teenage girls into a dangerous rabbit hole that could have dangerous consequences.

Admission to acute medical wards for mental health concerns among children and young people in England from 2012 to 2022: a cohort study

Between 2012–13 and 2021–22, annual admissions for mental health concerns increased from 24 198 to 39925 (65·0% increase), whereas all-cause admissions increased from 311 067 to 342511 (10·1% increase). Increases were particularly steep in females aged 11–15 years, rising from 9091 to 19 349 (112·8% increase), and for eating disorders, rising from 478 to 2938…

Prospective relationship between family screen time rules, obesogenic behaviours, and childhood obesity

Family screen use rules (FSRs) could plausibly protect against the development of childhood obesity, although the mechanisms underlying these protective effects remain largely unexplored. These findings suggest the potential benefits of promoting the adoption of FSRs as a promising population-based strategy to enhance child health behaviours and mitigate the risk of childhood obesity.

Does TikTok contribute to eating disorders?

TikTok employs sophisticated algorithms to deliver users increasingly personalised content over time.  Our results provide preliminary evidence that the TikTok algorithm might exacerbate eating disorder symptoms via content personalisation processes that are desensitised to volitional user actions (i.e., “liking” videos)

Is excessive smartphone use associated with weight status and self-rated health among youth?

This study aims to investigate the unique relationship between smartphone-specific screen time and physical health outcomes.

Five or More Hours of Smartphone Usage Per Day May Increase Obesity

In a recent study university students who used their smartphones five or more hours a day had a 43 percent increased risk of obesity.

New report highlights increase in number of children and young people with eating disorders

The report also reveals a significant rise in those being diagnosed with eating disorders, including a 10% increase among young men and women aged 17-19.

The social media diet: A scoping review to investigate the association between social media, body image and eating disorders amongst young people

To systematically map out and critically review the existing global literature on the relationship between social media usage, body image and eating disorders in young people aged 10–24 years.

Screen Media Exposure and Obesity in Children and Adolescents

Current evidence suggests that screen media exposure leads to obesity in children and adolescents.

Suicide, Self-Harm, and Digital Media Use

Rates of youth suicide attempts, death by suicide, and non-suicide self-injuries have increased in the last decade. Current research indicates increasing use of digital devices in children's daily lives is related to the rise in youth suicide-related behaviours.

A double-edged hashtag: Evaluation of #ADHD-related TikTok content and its associations with perceptions of ADHD

We aimed to assess the psychoeducational quality of TikTok content about attention-­ deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) from the perspective of both mental health ­ professionals andyoung adults across two pre-registered studies.

Buying To Belong – Youth and Virtual Assets in the Metaverse

This report examines the intersection of social gaming monetization and adolescent development, documenting how freemium social gaming platforms like Fortnite and Roblox monetize community and creative expression by exploiting adolescents’ developmental needs and vulnerabilities.

Addictive Screen Use Trajectories and Suicidal Behaviors, Suicidal Ideation, and Mental Health in US Youths.

Increasing child and adolescent use of social media, video games, and mobile phones has raised concerns about potential links to youth mental health problems. Prior research has largely focused on total screen time rather than longitudinal addictive use trajectories.

YouTube’s Anorexia Algorithm – EU

CCDH’s disturbing new findings show that YouTube’s algorithm is pushing young girls to watch videos glorifying skeletal bodies and promoting extreme diets that could lead to fatal consequences. YouTube’s algorithm is sending teenage girls into a dangerous rabbit hole that could have dangerous consequences.

YouTube’s Anorexia Algorithm – UK

CCDH’s disturbing new findings show that YouTube’s algorithm is pushing young girls to watch videos glorifying skeletal bodies and promoting extreme diets that could lead to fatal consequences. YouTube’s algorithm is sending teenage girls into a dangerous rabbit hole that could have dangerous consequences.

Associations between youth lifestyle habits, sociodemographic characteristics and health status with positive mental health

This study aims to estimate associations between lifestyle habits, sociodemographic characteristics, health status and positive mental health.

The moderating effects of physical activity on social anxiety and sleep disturbance: managing gaming disorder in young e-sports players

Internet Gaming Disorder (IGD) has emerged as an increasing public health concern, particularly among adolescent and young e-sports players in recent years. The immersive and competitive nature of online gaming has been associated with an increase in mental health issues such as anxiety and insomnia among individuals with IGD.

A double-edged hashtag: Evaluation of #ADHD-related TikTok content and its associations with perceptions of ADHD

We aimed to assess the psychoeducational quality of TikTok content about attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) from the perspective of both mental health professionals and young adults across two pre-registered studies.

The relationship between autistic traits and problematic smartphone use in adolescents: The serial mediating role of anxiety and executive dysfunction

Based on the Interaction of Person-Afect-Cognition-Execution (I-PACE) model, this study aimed to explore the relationship between autistic traits and problematic smartphone use (PSU) among Chinese adolescents and to examine the serial mediation efect of anxiety and executive dysfunction in the association between autistic traits and PSU.

A double-edged hashtag: Evaluation of #ADHD-related TikTok content and its associations with perceptions of ADHD

We aimed to assess the psychoeducational quality of TikTok content about attention-­ deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) from the perspective of both mental health ­ professionals andyoung adults across two pre-registered studies.

Buying To Belong – Youth and Virtual Assets in the Metaverse

This report examines the intersection of social gaming monetization and adolescent development, documenting how freemium social gaming platforms like Fortnite and Roblox monetize community and creative expression by exploiting adolescents’ developmental needs and vulnerabilities.

Electronic Screen Use and Children’s Socioemotional Problems: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Longitudinal Studies

Electronic screens are everywhere and are easily accessible to children. Parents report fears that screens cause socioemotional problems. But most research has been cross-sectional, making it difficult to establish causality. We reviewed the longitudinal evidence to answer two fundamental questions: Does screen use lead to socioemotional problems, and do socioemotional problems lead children to use…

Impact of the Use of Media Devices within the Family Context on the Language of Preteens

Several studies have found a negative impact of media use on the language of children under 5 years. This impact seems to be related to the linguistic input of their parents. However, less is known about the influence of media on language in preteens. This study aims to analyze the relationship between the use of…

Middle-schoolers’ reading and lexical-semantic processing depth in response to digital and print media: An N400 study

We report the first use of ERP measures to identify text engagement differences when reading digitally or in print. Depth of semantic encoding is key for reading comprehension, and we predicted that deeper reading of expository texts would facilitate stronger associations with subsequently-presented related words, resulting in enhanced N400 responses to unrelated probe words and…

Relation between digital tool practices in the language arts classroom and reading comprehension scores

Concerns about the negative efects of digitalization on students’ reading comprehension, empirically backed by recent meta-analyses, question the efcacy of digital tools in the language arts classroom. By analyzing data from 4 and 8th grade US students from NAEP 2017, we aimed to test the generalization of the negative association between screens use and reading…

Do parent media habits contribute to child global development?

Parents of preschoolers’ report using screen media frequently. More frequent screen use by parents may undermine child development by displacing time for foundational parent-child interactions. The objective of the present study is to examine the extent to which parent screen use contributes to child global development 1 year later.

Screen Time and Parent-Child Talk When Children Are Aged 12 to 36 Months

Growing up in a language-rich home environment is important for children’s language development in the early years. The concept of “technoference” (technology-based interference) suggests that screen time may be interfering with opportunities for talk and interactions between parent and child; however, limited longitudinal evidence exists exploring this association.

Preschooler Screen Time During the Pandemic Is Prospectively Associated With Lower Achievement of Developmental Milestones

The aim of this study was to assess the developmental risks associated with total screen time, and specifically newer mobile devices, in the context of the pandemic.

Cure for tantrums? Longitudinal associations between parental digital emotion regulation and children’s self-regulatory skills

Revising on the run or studying on the sofa: prospective associations between physical activity, sedentary behaviour, and exam results in British adolescents

We investigated prospective associations between physical activity/sedentary behaviour (PA/SED) and General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) results in British adolescents.

Do parent media habits contribute to child global development?

Parents of preschoolers’ report using screen media frequently. More frequent screen use by parents may undermine child development by displacing time for foundational parent-child interactions. The objective of the present study is to examine the extent to which parent screen use contributes to child global development 1 year later.

Screen Time and Parent-Child Talk When Children Are Aged 12 to 36 Months

Growing up in a language-rich home environment is important for children’s language development in the early years. The concept of “technoference” (technology-based interference) suggests that screen time may be interfering with opportunities for talk and interactions between parent and child; however, limited longitudinal evidence exists exploring this association.

Toddler Screen Use Before Bed and Its Effect on Sleep and Attention

IMPORTANCE Toddler screen time has been associated with poorer sleep and differences in attention. Understanding the causal impact of screen time on early development is of the highest importance. OBJECTIVE To test (1) the feasibility of the 7-week parent-administered screen time intervention (PASTI) in toddlers (aged 16-30 months) who have screen time in the hour…

The relationship between smartphone use and subjective musculoskeletal symptoms and university students

This study was to investigate the use of smartphones by university students in selected areas, their musculoskeletal symptoms, and the associated hazard ratio.

The surprising cure ‘tech neck’ sufferers are embracing

Smartphone users are increasingly turning to Botox jabs to cure “tech neck” –pain and inflammation from time hunched over devices.

The Real State of Beauty: A Global Report

Offers unique insight into how technology – particularly the explosive growth of social media – is continuing to shape our perceptions of beauty and the way we feel about our bodies.

Predictors of Musculoskeletal Pain among Primary School Students Using Smartphones in Nakhon Si Thammarat, Thailand

This study aimed to examine risk factors for musculoskeletal pain amongprimary school students using smartphones.

The effects of smartphone use on upper extremity muscle activity and pain threshold

The purpose of this study was to determine whether muscle activity and pressure-inducedpain in the upper extremities are affected by smartphone use, and to compare the effects of phonehandling with one hand and with both hands.

Adolescents’ screen time displaces multiple sleep pathways and elevates depressive symptoms over twelve months

Recently the Swedish Public Health Agency published recommendations of a maximum of two-to-three hours of daily leisure screen time for adolescents aged 13–18, partly to promote better sleep (2024-Sep-02). Biologically and socially, adolescence is charac- terized by belated sleep times, and depressive effects of screen time can arise through sleep displacements.

Toddler Screen Use Before Bed and Its Effect on Sleep and Attention

IMPORTANCE Toddler screen time has been associated with poorer sleep and differences in attention. Understanding the causal impact of screen time on early development is of the highest importance. OBJECTIVE To test (1) the feasibility of the 7-week parent-administered screen time intervention (PASTI) in toddlers (aged 16-30 months) who have screen time in the hour…

Sleep and Screens – Research at a Glance

A Research at a Glance summary of Screens and Sleep

Future Directions for Screen Time Interventions for Sleep

The recent study by Pickard et al indicates that reducing before-bed screen use may help with some sleep outcomes among toddlers.

Toddler Screen Use Before Bed and Its Effect on Sleep and Attention

Toddler screen time has been associated with poorer sleep and differences in attention. Understanding the causal impact of screen time on early development is of the highest importance.

Toddler Screen Use Before Bed and Its Effect on Sleep and Attention

Toddler screen time has been associated with poorer sleep and differences in attention. Understanding the causal impact of screen time on early development is of the highest importance.

Smartphones in Education (SIE): How screens are reshaping students’ academic and personal lives

The Smartphones in Education programme explores how smartphones are shaping the lives of school, college, and university students across the UK and Ireland. Just under 3,000 students took part – offering one of the clearest, most representative pictures yet of how this generation experiences focus, learning, wellbeing, and digital overwhelm.

Everything to Play For – A Plan to Ensure Every Child in England Can Play

Through gathering written and oral evidence, national and international visits, and engagement with children, parents, and professionals, the Commission has investigated the benefits of play, what is stopping so many children from accessing it, and what can be done to turn the tide.

Mumsnet briefing: why the government should take action on under 16s and social media

Our users overwhelmingly support stronger protections for children on social media and more than 80% support a ban on social media for under 16s1. The government has a clear mandate to act - and their failure to do so is perceived by parents as capitulating to Big Tech rather than standing up for children’s welfare.

Suicide, Self-Harm, and Digital Media Use

Rates of youth suicide attempts, death by suicide, and non-suicide self-injuries have increased in the last decade. Current research indicates increasing use of digital devices in children's daily lives is related to the rise in youth suicide-related behaviours.

How TikTok Promotes Dangerous and potentially illegal steroids and steroid-like drugs to teens

This report details how steroids and steroid-like drugs (SLDs) are promoted in TikTok videos which have gained up to 587 million views in the US alone, primarily from those under the age of 24.

Addictive Screen Use Trajectories and Suicidal Behaviors, Suicidal Ideation, and Mental Health in US Youths.

Increasing child and adolescent use of social media, video games, and mobile phones has raised concerns about potential links to youth mental health problems. Prior research has largely focused on total screen time rather than longitudinal addictive use trajectories.

Impact of the Use of Media Devices within the Family Context on the Language of Preteens

Several studies have found a negative impact of media use on the language of children under 5 years. This impact seems to be related to the linguistic input of their parents. However, less is known about the influence of media on language in preteens. This study aims to analyze the relationship between the use of…

Revising on the run or studying on the sofa: prospective associations between physical activity, sedentary behaviour, and exam results in British adolescents

We investigated prospective associations between physical activity/sedentary behaviour (PA/SED) and General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) results in British adolescents.

Mainstreaming the Blackpill: Understanding the Incel Community on TikTok

Incels (involuntary celibates), a subgroup of the so called ‘manosphere,’ have become an increasing security concern for policymakers, researchers, and practitioners following their association with several violent attacks. Once mostly contained on niche men’s forums, redpilled and blackpilled communities and theories are gaining prominence on mainstream social media platforms. However, whilst previous research considerably enhanced…

RQ1. In which countries do young people have higher skills levels and lower skills inequalities than England, making them good candidates for England to learn from? RQ2. What are the common distinguishing features of education systems that are identified as ‘high performing’ on the basis of their young people’s cognitive skill development? RQ3. In what…

Middle-schoolers’ reading and lexical-semantic processing depth in response to digital and print media: An N400 study

We report the first use of ERP measures to identify text engagement differences when reading digitally or in print. Depth of semantic encoding is key for reading comprehension, and we predicted that deeper reading of expository texts would facilitate stronger associations with subsequently-presented related words, resulting in enhanced N400 responses to unrelated probe words and…

Relation between digital tool practices in the language arts classroom and reading comprehension scores

Concerns about the negative efects of digitalization on students’ reading comprehension, empirically backed by recent meta-analyses, question the efcacy of digital tools in the language arts classroom. By analyzing data from 4 and 8th grade US students from NAEP 2017, we aimed to test the generalization of the negative association between screens use and reading…

Longitudinal Associations Between Screen Time and Children’s Language, Early Educational Skills, and Peer Social Functioning