A new research project has been launched which will lay the groundwork for future studies into the impact on children of smartphone and social media use.
This is a complex and rapidly evolving issue, with both potential harms and benefits associated with smartphone use. Technology is changing by the day, and scientific evidence creation needs to evolve and innovate to keep up with new developments.
The work has been commissioned by the UK government's Department for Science, Innovation and Technology after a review by the UK Chief Medical Officer in 2019 found the evidence base around the links to children's mental health were insufficient to provide strong conclusions suitable to inform policy.
The project - led by a team from the University of Cambridge, in collaboration with researchers including The University of Manchester's Dr Margarita Panayiotou - is aimed at improving policymakers' understanding of the relationship between children's wellbeing and smartphone use, including social media and messaging. It will help direct future government action in this area.
"There is huge concern about the impact of smartphone use on children's health, but the evidence base remains fairly limited," said project lead Dr Amy Orben. "Our focus will be on deepening our causal understanding of the effects of new technologies, particularly over short timescales, to ensure that decisions are informed, timely and evidence-based."
Dr Orben's team will identify which research methods and data sources will be most effective at identifying potential causal relationships between social media, smartphones, and the health and development of children and young people.
The researchers will review and summarise existing research on the impact of smartphones and social media on children and young people's mental health, wellbeing, physical health, lifestyle and health behaviours, and educational attainment. The review will recognise the diversity of perspectives that exist in this area and consider where further research could add valuable new insights to the evidence base.
They will assess the various methods and data available to understand the causal impacts, including recognising that online habits and emerging technologies are changing at a rapid pace, and considering how the experiences of vulnerable children and young people - for example, LGBTQ+ young people and those with special needs or mental health issues - can be captured in future research projects.
This will allow the team to recommend and outline how future research studies could deliver robust and causal evidence on the impact of smartphones and social media on child development factors in the next two to three years.
"The online world offers immense opportunities for young people to connect and learn - ensuring they can do so in an environment which puts their safety first is my priority and will guide this government's action on online safety," said Technology Secretary Peter Kyle. "This vital research will build a trusted evidence base for future action, helping us to protect and empower the next generation towards a safer and more positive digital future."
