📱Wellness Wednesday: Why Compulsive Screen Use, Not Screen Time, Is Hurting Our Teens - June 25, 2025

A new longitudinal study tracking nearly 4,300 children aged 9–10 over four years has revealed a striking truth: what matters most for their mental health isn't how much time they spend online, but how compulsively they use it. This addictive-type usage—characterized by interference with school, exercise, and emotional distress when separated from devices—was linked to a two to three times higher risk of suicidal thoughts and behaviors, as well as increased symptoms of anxiety, depression, aggression, or rule-breaking.

Interestingly, total screen time—including hours spent on video games, social media, and mobile phones—did not predict poor mental health. It was the coercive, uncontrolled patterns and addiction-like behavior that made the difference.

Mental Health in the Age of Digital Addiction

1. The Shadow of Behavioral Addiction

What we're witnessing mirrors other behavioral addictions: a compulsion loop fueled by craving, tolerance, and emotional withdrawal. Symptoms overlap strongly with addiction—stress when unable to use devices, craving, loss of control—all fitting profiles for a serious mental health risk.

2. Unspoken Motivations

For some teens, devices offer an escape—a refuge from bullying, academic pressure, or family discord. The issue is compounded when the designs of digital platforms exploit psychological vulnerabilities—like social validation, gaming loot mechanics, and on-demand notifications.

3. Earlier Screens, Early Risks?

A substantial proportion—about 40–50%—showed signs of addictive use early on: half for mobile phones, over 40% for video games, and roughly 41% for social media. This suggests a developmental vulnerability beginning near age 9–10—a key window where we might intervene.

Reframing the Conversation: From Limits to Understanding

✅ 1. Targeting Addictive Use

Experts like Dr. Yunyu Xiao and colleagues urge us to move beyond blanket screen-time limits. Instead, we need targeted measures addressing compulsive patterns—think interventions akin to those used for other addictions: motivational interviewing, cognitive behavior strategies, and relapse prevention techniques.

✅ 2. Tuning Into Teen Experience

Parents and educators should shift from “reduce time” to “understand why.” Are teens using screens to escape stress? Are algorithms triggering compulsive checking? Open, supportive dialogue—rather than punitive restrictions—can uncover these hidden drivers.

✅ 3. Creating Supportive Contexts

Research on parental mediation shows that active involvement—conversations, co-engagement, autonomy-support—reduces problematic use and aggression better than authoritarian rules alone. Families and schools should encourage healthy digital habits, not just bans.

✅ 4. Learning from Policy & Culture

Some countries are exploring broader frameworks: smartphone bans in schools (Belgium, parts of India), age limits on platforms (Spain, Australia), and smartphone-free childhood campaigns in the UK. While structural limits may help, they’re most effective when part of a holistic strategy promoting outdoor play, peer connection, and developmental resilience.

What Mental Health Professionals Can Do

1. Integrate Screen Use in Assessments Clinicians should assess not just screen hours but patterns of use—withdrawal, interference with daily life, emotional triggers—when evaluating youth mental health.

   
   

2. Adapt Addiction-Based Therapies Approaches like CBT and family therapy, proven in gaming disorder treatments, may be effective for treating compulsive digital behavior among teens.

   
   

3. Support Digital Resilience Foster healthy media literacy: teach emotional self-regulation, critical awareness of online content, and methods to disengage when screen use becomes overwhelming.

   
   

4. Partner with Communities Schools and local providers might adopt AR or group interventions (e.g. LINA programs) which leverage digital tools to reinforce real-life connection and belonging.

   
   

A Call for Compassionate, Informed Action

This study doesn’t demonize screens—it gives us nuance. Screens themselves aren’t poison. It’s the relationship with screens—laced with compulsion, emotional avoidance, and loss of control—that poses real harm. And the stakes are high: suicidal thoughts aren’t simply correlated; they increase significantly with addictive behavior .

🌱 For Parents:

• Watch for signs: distress when devices are taken away, declining participation in non-screen activities.

• Communicate nonjudgmentally: ask “What do you get from your phone when you're feeling upset?”

• Co-create boundaries with teens, focusing on why and how they use screens, not just how long.

🏫 For Educators:

• Advocate for phone-free learning environments.

• Integrate digital balance and coping strategies into curricula.

• Train staff to recognize signs of digital compulsion and mental distress.

💡 For Mental Health Practitioners:

• Build digital-use screening into routine assessments.

• Use addiction-informed interventions for compulsive screen behaviors.

• Collaborate with schools and parents to support balanced and adaptive media habits.

This groundbreaking JAMA study underscores a critical shift: it's not about sweating the total minutes spent online—but about recognizing addictive patterns that hijack emotional regulation and daily life. To safeguard teen wellbeing, our response must be just as precise: compassionate, curiosity-driven, evidence-informed, and systemic.

By focusing on why and how screens are used—and treating compulsive use with the seriousness it demands—we can transform digital challenges into opportunities for growth, resilience, and healthier relationships with online life.

—Dr. Michael Ritchey is a Doctor of Social Work and Licensed Clinical Social Worker specializing in trauma, veteran mental health, and reintegration support. Follow @DrMichaelRitchey for more content on mental health, healing, and justice.