Teens using digital media at night face depression, sleep deprivation: study

Chandigarh: It is no rocket science that people who use digital media at night may suffer sleep disorder. It is common for people of any age. But a latest study claims that among teenagers a high level of digital media use during the night may also cause depression besides sleep problems.

Researchers claim that youths who suffer sleep issues need to switch off their smartphones, tablets, laptops and other devices at least an hour before going to bed. They claim that this will help them

[File Photo used for representational purpose only]

Hundreds of millions of teenagers posses smartphones, tablets and gaming consoles. Some kid have one of these while many have all the three besides of course owing their own iPods, laptops and several other devices including smart watches that are now available in any number.

The latest study that was conducted by the University of Basel examined differences in digital media use between teenagers with smartphones and their peers with conventional mobile phones. The results showed that during weekdays teenagers with smartphones spent more time on the internet than their peers with conventional mobile phones; on average two hours compared to one hour. In addition, they wrote more text messages daily; on average 85 messages compared to seven messages.

Researchers while talking about the findings of the study claim that a particularly noticeable difference was found for the time when the teenagers were in their beds at night: only 17% of smartphone owners switched their devices off or put them on silent during the night compared to 47 percent of the teenagers with conventional mobile phones. Moreover, teenagers with smartphones indicated to watch videos, to be online, and to text with friends more often during the night than their counterparts with conventional mobile phones. The study has been published in the latest issue of Journal of Youth and Adolescence.