March 9, 2026

expert reaction to systematic review and meta-analysis on associations between digital media use and child health and development

A systematic review and meta-analysis published in JAMA Pediatrics looks at digital media use and child health and development. 

Prof Amy Orben, Research Professor and Programme Leader at the MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, University of Cambridge, said:

“This new synthesis of studies that track technology use and children’s outcomes over time is a useful and welcome addition to the research on social media, digital technologies and young people. Many previous reviews, including work my team carried out for the UK Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/696e0b46bbcea094189e2366/impact-smartphones-social_media-children-study.pdf), have mainly synthesised studies that capture data at a single moment in time. By contrast, the studies included in the synthesis here follow children over longer periods, which helps researchers see how patterns of behaviour and wellbeing change.

“Like earlier reviews, the authors find evidence suggesting that social media use may be linked to harms, including poorer mental health. This strengthens calls to ensure that children are appropriately safeguarded online.

“However, it is important to also interpret these findings carefully. Even though studies that follow people over time can show which events tend to come first, they cannot prove that one thing directly causes another unless stronger causal research methods are used. The authors acknowledge this limitation themselves, noting that such stronger methods were not adopted in most studies they synthesised. For example, many of the studies they included in their synthesis do not fully account for the complex, two-way relationship between social media use and children’s health outcomes such as well-being. It may be that children who are already struggling spend more time on social media, rather than social media being the cause of their difficulties. Similarly, some personality traits or life circumstances might make certain children both more likely to use social media heavily and more likely to experience poorer developmental outcomes.

“Because most of the studies do not fully address these possibilities, the results should be seen as showing associations rather than definite evidence that social media directly causes harm. However, this evidence strengthens claims that there might be harm caused by social media, and discussions about what can be done to safeguard young people online – and clear actions to do just this – are welcome and necessary.”

Prof Chris Ferguson, Professor of Psychology, Stetson University, said:

“Taking this study at face value, screen time might predict barely 1% or less of the outcomes in mental health.  But even that is uncertain given the number of problems with this analysis.  This study combines many other studies in meta-analysis of screen effects.  Overall, effects appear to be weak with significant differences between studies.  It is hard to make any clear conclusion based on these results.  Overall, the effects appear to be so small as to possibly due to methodological noises.  Further, they find publication bias for some results, suggesting that some results may be spurious.  Most results also appear to fail to correct for other significant control variables such as preexisting problems, family problems or trait personality. Unfortunately, the authors ignore these many significant issues and overinterpret their results as more important than they are.  Taken at face value, these results suggest that screen media have little predictive role in youth mental health outcomes.  However, even these weak results are likely spuriously high due to the many methodological weaknesses of the study.  There is a significant risk that parents and policy makes may misinterpret these results as supportive of both restrictive parenting practices and censorship policies that are unlikely to help children and may cause more harm than good.”

‘Digital Media Use and Child Health and Development A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis’ by Samantha Teague, et al. was published in JAMA Pediatrics at 15:00 UK time on Monday the 9^th of March 2026. 

DOI: doi:10.1001/jamapediatrics.2026.0085

Declared interests:

Prof Amy Orben: “Co-principal investigator of the Wellcome funded social media reduction trial in Bradford; member of the Austraian eSafety Commissioner’s Social Media Minimum Age Evaluation Academic Advisory Group; Director of the DSIT research commission “Feasibility Study of Methods and Data to Understand the Impact of Smartphones and Social Media on Children and Young People”; Member of DfE Science Advisory Council and DSIT/DCMS College of Experts; ESRC Smart Data Research UK Programme Board member, Digital Futures for Children Advisory Board member; In 2023 I gave paid talks to SWGfL and Apple University; I have received funding or consultancy payments from UKRI, Wellcome Trust, Jacobs Foundation, Huo Family Foundation, UK Department of Innovation Science and Technology, Prudence Trust, National Institute of Health, Emmanuel College, University of Cambridge and Barnardo’s.”

Prof Chris Ferguson: “I have no COI to declare.”