A groundbreaking new investigation into the patterns of digital device addiction in youth reveals profound links between escalating compulsive use and heightened mental health risks. Published in the June 18, 2025 issue of JAMA, this study, conducted collaboratively by researchers from Weill Cornell Medicine, Columbia University, and the University of California, Berkeley, challenges the prevailing paradigm that sheer screen time alone determines psychological outcomes. Instead, it emphasizes the qualitative dimensions of engagement—how addictive behaviors evolve and intensify over time—as the critical factors predicting suicidal ideation, suicide attempts, and emotional dysregulation among adolescents.
Unlike prior research that primarily correlated total screen duration at a single developmental snapshot with mental health consequences, this study approached the issue longitudinally. It monitored nearly 4,300 youths beginning at ages nine to ten over a period of four years, tracking changes in their addictive use trajectory across social media, mobile phones, and video gaming. Leveraging sophisticated machine learning algorithms to parse interview data, investigators delineated distinct pathways of use characterized by compulsivity, loss of control, distress when unable to engage, and reliance on digital activities as coping mechanisms. Findings revealed that an increasing compulsion trajectory, rather than total hours spent on screens, was a much stronger predictor of adverse mental health outcomes.
This nuanced clarification has significant implications for how parents, educators, and clinicians approach adolescent digital media use. Dr. Yunyu Xiao, assistant professor of population health sciences at Weill Cornell Medicine and lead author, asserts that simplistic policies focused on limiting screen time or banning devices entirely may be insufficient and potentially misguided. Clinical trials cited within the study have shown that restricting phone use during school hours does not effectively curb suicidal behavior or improve psychological well-being, underscoring the necessity of addressing addictive use patterns directly rather than imposing blunt temporal limits.
The data underscores a sobering reality: by early adolescence, addiction to social media and mobile phones is widespread, with nearly one in three participants exhibiting high-compulsive use of social media and one in four displaying similar addictive patterns with mobile phones. The prevalence is even greater in video gaming, where over 40 percent of youths showed high addictive trajectories. What stands out is the statistically significant association between these trajectories and elevated risks of suicidal thoughts, attempts, anxiety, depression, aggression, and rule-breaking behaviors. These correlations persisted even after controlling for socio-demographic variables.
Intriguingly, the study illuminates how different types of digital activity contribute uniquely to mental health symptoms. High and escalating addiction patterns to social media and mobile phones correlate with a two- to threefold increase in suicidal ideation and behavior, while also aligning with a spectrum of internalizing symptoms such as anxiety and depressive states, alongside externalizing symptoms including inattentiveness and aggression. Video game addiction, meanwhile, appears to have a distinct yet equally pernicious profile affecting emotional and behavioral regulation. These delineations highlight the need for targeted interventions sensitive to the specific medium and mode of addictive use.
A crucial takeaway for caregivers is the recognition and evaluation of addictive behaviors rather than mere chronometry of screen exposure. Dr. Yuan Meng, co-first author and population health sciences postdoctoral associate at Weill Cornell, stresses that identifying addiction early is paramount. In fact, simplistic restrictions—such as limiting phone or social media use during certain hours—may inadvertently intensify compulsive behaviors by reinforcing the psychological grip of device dependency. Professional assessment and intervention thus become essential to dismantling addictive cycles before they escalate.
This research marks a potential paradigm shift in youth mental health and digital media scholarship. It suggests that the trajectory of addictive use patterns offers a more accurate lens for predicting suicide-related outcomes than total screen time quantities. Moreover, the study advocates for routine monitoring of digital behaviors from late childhood into adolescence, emphasizing that initial low or moderate use does not equate to immunity from future risk. Dynamic follow-up assessments can identify escalating addictive trajectories, opening avenues for timely clinical or behavioral interventions.
It is important to note that the study does not establish a direct causal relationship—addictive digital use patterns do not inherently cause mental health issues; rather, they are strongly linked to a doubled risk of suicidal behaviors and ideation in the near term. This nuanced understanding calls for cautious interpretation and further investigation, particularly in developing evidence-based methodologies adapted from addiction treatment paradigms used for substances or behaviors. Dr. John Mann, senior author and a leading translational neuroscience expert at Columbia University, underscores the urgency of this next research phase to refine prevention and treatment strategies.
Future directions emerging from this investigation include detailed profiling of affected youth across demographic and socioeconomic strata to identify susceptibilities and protective factors within diverse populations. The research team also plans to develop innovative interventions targeting the early onset of addictive behavior patterns. By intervening during critical windows, these efforts aim to mitigate trajectories toward suicidality and improve broader mental health outcomes in an increasingly digital generation.
Contributors to this landmark research also include Dr. Timothy T. Brown, associate director for research at the Berkeley Center for Health Technology, and Dr. Katherine M. Keyes, professor of epidemiology at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health. Their interdisciplinary expertise strengthens the study’s methodological rigor and epidemiologic insights, reinforcing the call for action in mental health and technology policy domains.
This meticulous and longitudinal study moves beyond the simplistic "screen time equals harm" narrative that has dominated discourse in recent years. Instead, its findings advocate for a sophisticated understanding of digital addiction as a multidimensional behavioral health issue, intricately woven with youths’ psychological resilience and vulnerability. This approach challenges stakeholders across medicine, education, and technology to rethink strategies from reactive restrictions to proactive, evidence-driven care.
In the age of pervasive connectivity, this research powerfully reminds us that the quality and nature of digital engagement, rather than quantity alone, determine mental health trajectories in young people. Addressing these complexities is fundamental to cultivating healthier digital ecosystems and safeguarding the well-being of future generations.
Subject of Research: Addictive Screen Use Trajectories and Their Association with Suicidal Behaviors and Mental Health in Adolescents
Article Title: Addictive Screen Use Trajectories and Suicidal Behaviors, Suicidal Ideation, and Mental Health in US Youths
News Publication Date: 18-Jun-2025
Web References: https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/10.1001/jama.2025.7829?guestAccessKey=1e247dd1-cadf-430c-baad-bc5c5543ad29&utm_source=for_the_media&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=ftm_links&utm_content=tfl&utm_term=061825
Keywords: Human behavior, Mass media, Society, Age groups
