Internet usage can simultaneously enhance and hinder mental health and cognitive function across all age groups, from preschoolers to the elderly, depending on how and when it is used, according to a recent review.
Building on a 2019 review that introduced the concept of the "online brain," this updated 2024 review provides a comprehensive analysis of the individualized impacts of Internet use across psychological, cognitive, and social dimensions, reflecting the ongoing integration of the Internet into daily life and advancements in research on its effects.
The 2024 review, published in World Psychiatry, synthesizes data from large-scale epidemiological studies, systematic reviews, randomized controlled trials, and qualitative research to present a multi-dimensional overview of how Internet use affects mental health, cognition, and social functioning. The study emphasizes the importance of an individualized approach, noting that the psychological impacts of Internet use, particularly through social media, are not solely dependent on the amount of time spent online but are influenced by factors such as age, gender, and usage patterns.
To illustrate this point, the review highlights several key studies that demonstrate the varied impacts of Internet use across different age groups and contexts:
The researchers found that in a large U.K. cohort study involving 84,011 patients aged 10 to 80 years, "windows of sensitivity" to the adverse psychological impacts of social media were identified, with females showing negative impacts during early adolescence (11 to 13 years), and males between 14 to 15 years.
Focusing on younger children, another study of over 2,300 preschool-aged children found that those with more than two hours per day of screen time were almost six times more likely to present clinically significant inattention problems compared to children with less than 30 minutes per day of screen time, according to researchers.
Looking at the broader population, a recent meta-analysis across 32 countries, involving 63 independent samples with over 34,000 patients, revealed that the general prevalence of Internet addiction is estimated to be around 5%, even under strict classifications, according to researchers.
Key findings suggest that moderate digital screen time correlates with improved psychosocial functioning in children, whereas both low and high levels of screen time may be associated with negative outcomes. The review also addresses the evolving role of emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence, virtual reality, and augmented reality, in shaping our understanding of the interaction between Internet use and brain function.
Recent research suggests that the negative effects of Internet use, especially social media, are not strongly associated with the amount of time spent online. For example, large-scale epidemiological studies that combined data from reviews, meta-analyses, and cohort studies investigated the link between digital technology use and mental health issues like depression and anxiety. In adolescents, a detailed analysis across several national datasets found little evidence of a direct or causal connection between time spent online and mental health outcomes.
"Within this, a shift emerges from the traditional research questions or interventions which approach the Internet (and its various uses) as either "good" or "bad", to instead detail the potential for simultaneous positive and negative psychological and cognitive impacts from most online activities," noted researchers.
Full disclosures can be found in the published review.
