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Evidence for link between digital technology use and teenage mental health problems is weak, our large study suggests

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When Most Americans Know Someone Who Dated AI

Elon Musk

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Kamala Harris

Bill Gates

Andrew Ng

Yoshua Bengio

Fei-Fei Li

Melanie Mitchell

Sam Altman

Dario Amodei

Geoffrey Hinton

Yann LeCun

Gary Marcus

Max Tegmark

Connor Leahy

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Marc Andreessen

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There's a "wall of fear-mongering and doomerism" in the AI world right now.

"Worrying about AI today is like worrying about overpopulation on Mars."

Concerns that AI could pose a threat to humanity is "preposterously ridiculous."

Claiming AI poses an existential threat is "such an extreme" and risks "wip[ing] out some of its potential benefits."

"I'm more concerned about... the risks that are here and now [than the existential threat of AI]."

Current AI is "not anywhere close" to posing an existential threat but it could in the future.

AI is the "biggest existential threat" to humanity.

AGI's worst-case scenario would be "lights-out for all of us."

Powerful AI systems "taking control" pose an "existential threat."

AI has a "10 to 25 per cent" chance of destroying humanity.

"The most likely result of building a superhumanly smart AI... is that literally everyone on Earth will die."

Does AI Pose an Existential Threat to Humanity?

A study from the University of Manchester tracked more than 25,000 pupils aged 11 to 14 across Greater Manchester over three school years as part of the #BeeWell program. The research found no evidence that heavier social media use or more frequent gaming caused increases in symptoms of anxiety or depression over the following year for boys or girls.

A study from the University of Manchester tracked more than 25,000 pupils aged 11 to 14 across Greater Manchester over three school years as part of the #BeeWell program. The research found no evidence that heavier social media use or more frequent gaming caused increases in symptoms of anxiety or depression over the following year for boys or girls.

The study, published in the Journal of Public Health, separated within-person effects from between-person effects to determine whether a specific teenager's mental health worsened after they started spending more time on social media or gaming than usual. When this method was applied, the supposed link between digital technology use and later internalizing symptoms largely vanished.

The study, published in the Journal of Public Health, separated within-person effects from between-person effects to determine whether a specific teenager's mental health worsened after they started spending more time on social media or gaming than usual. When this method was applied, the supposed link between digital technology use and later internalizing symptoms largely vanished.

Girls who gamed more often went on to spend slightly less time on social media the following year. Boys who reported more emotional difficulties were more likely to cut back on gaming in the future, a pattern researchers suggest could be linked to losing interest in hobbies when feeling low or parents limiting screen time.

Girls who gamed more often went on to spend slightly less time on social media the following year. Boys who reported more emotional difficulties were more likely to cut back on gaming in the future, a pattern researchers suggest could be linked to losing interest in hobbies when feeling low or parents limiting screen time.

The research team explored whether actively chatting on social media or just passively scrolling made a difference, but the overall picture remained the same. Neither active nor passive social media use was a significant driver of later mental health problems in the sample.

The research team explored whether actively chatting on social media or just passively scrolling made a difference, but the overall picture remained the same. Neither active nor passive social media use was a significant driver of later mental health problems in the sample.

The NASUWT teachers union called on the UK Government to follow Australia's lead and ban social media for under-16s. The union surveyed 5,800 teacher members in 2025 and found about four in five reported an increase in pupils exhibiting violent and abusive behavior, with nearly three in five believing social media was a driving factor.

The NASUWT teachers union called on the UK Government to follow Australia's lead and ban social media for under-16s. The union surveyed 5,800 teacher members in 2025 and found about four in five reported an increase in pupils exhibiting violent and abusive behavior, with nearly three in five believing social media was a driving factor.

Lead author Dr. Qiqi Cheng stated that families are worried, but the results do not support the idea that simply spending time on social media or gaming leads to mental health problems. The authors emphasized that hurtful messages, online pressures and extreme content can have real impacts on wellbeing, but focusing simply on screen time misses the bigger picture.

Guardian

guardian

Lead author Dr. Qiqi Cheng stated that families are worried, but the results do not support the idea that simply spending time on social media or gaming leads to mental health problems. The authors emphasized that hurtful messages, online pressures and extreme content can have real impacts on wellbeing, but focusing simply on screen time misses the bigger picture.

Study Finds No Link Between Screen Time and Teen Anxiety

Study Finds No Link Between Screen Time and Teen Anxiety

The Controversies

Andreessen

Ng

LeCun

Mitchell

Li

Bengio

Musk

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Hinton

Amodei

Yudkowsky

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Study Finds No Link Between Screen Time and Teen Anxiety

Study Finds No Link Between Screen Time and Teen Anxiety

The Controversies

Andreessen

Ng

LeCun

Mitchell

Li

Bengio

Musk

Altman

Hinton

Amodei

Yudkowsky

Go Deeper

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