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. 2023 Oct;53(14):6773-6779.
doi: 10.1017/S0033291723000284. Epub 2023 Feb 24.

Is adolescent internet use a risk factor for the development of depression symptoms or vice-versa?

Caroline Fitzpatrick  1   2 , Annie Lemieux  1 , Jonathan Smith  1 , Greg L West  2 , Véronique Bohbot  3 , Mark Asbridge  4   5
Affiliations

Is adolescent internet use a risk factor for the development of depression symptoms or vice-versa?

Caroline Fitzpatrick et al. Psychol Med. 2023 Oct.

Abstract

Background: The extent to which digital media use by adolescents contributes to poor mental health, or vice-versa, remains unclear. The purpose of the present study is to clarify the strength and direction of associations between adolescent internet use and the development of depression symptoms using a longitudinal modeling approach. We also examine whether associations differ for boys and girls.

Methods: Data are drawn from (N = 1547) participants followed for the Quebec longitudinal Study of Child Development (QLSCD 1998-2020). Youth self-reported internet use in terms of the average hours of use per week at the ages of 13, 15, and 17. Youth also self-reported depression symptoms at the same ages.

Results: After testing sex-invariance, random intercepts cross-lagged panel models stratified by sex, revealed that internet use by girls was associated with significant within-person (time-varying) change in depression symptoms. Girl's internet use at age 13 was associated with increased depression symptoms at age 15 (ß = 0.12) and internet use at age 15 increased depression at age 17 (ß = 0.10). For boys, internet use was not associated with significant time varying change in depression symptoms.

Conclusions: The present findings support the hypothesis that internet use by adolescents can represent a significant risk factor for the development of depressive symptoms, particularly in girls.

Keywords: Adolescents; depression; digital media; internet use; longitudinal modeling.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Figures

Fig. 1.
Fig. 1.
Random intercept cross-lagged panel model examining associations between internet use (N) and depressive symptoms (D) adolescent in boys and girls.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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