Digital media in focus: Youth between opportunities and dangers!

Digital media in focus: Youth between opportunities and dangers!

Digital media are now indispensable companions in everyday life, in training and in professional life. However, the intensive and problematic use of these technologies can have a significant negative impact on psychological well-being. This comes from the research work led by Prof. Dr. Roman Soucek from the Institute for Empirical Social Science (IESW). Together with colleagues, he developed and evaluated an intervention to combat problematic media use, which is intended to strengthen users' self-control and reduce the fear of missing out. The study entitled “Promoting psychological resources for coping with problematic media use: Development and evaluation of a training intervention” demonstrated that the intervention was successful and contributed to a significant reduction in problematic media use and less stress. These findings were published in the journal Computers in Human Behavior Reports published and are freely accessible there.

The study shows how important it is to find a balance when dealing with digital media. In today's world, where smartphones and social media are omnipresent, the user experience is shaped by a need for social belonging and control over one's own life. This can lead users to resort to dysfunctional coping strategies to compensate for the uncertainties of life. Results show that excessive smartphone use can lead to problematic smartphone use (PSU), which is characterized by symptoms such as tolerance, withdrawal and interpersonal conflict. Although PSU is not recognized as an official mental disorder in the DSM-5 and ICD-11, its severity is correlated with negative mental health outcomes, including depression and anxiety, such as PMC reported.

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic has further increased the use of digital media. During the lockdowns, people increasingly looked for ways to maintain social contacts. This not only led to an increase in PSU but also increased the negative psychological effects. The study highlights that a low sense of control is strongly associated with higher levels of FoMO (Fear of Missing Out) and PSU severity. Young people who suffer from a low sense of control tend to use PSU as a coping strategy. This has an impact on their psychological well-being. In Germany own loud PubMed Almost all young people have a smartphone, which increases the risk of problematic use.

The increased use of digital media also entails risks. The dangers of cyberbullying, extreme political views and uncensored content are increasingly being discussed in families and schools. Cyberbullying affects around 5% of children and young people in Germany and is closely linked to mental health problems. Computer gaming disorder is the first among digital media use disorders to be included in the ICD-11. This recognition highlights the need to develop evidence-based prevention and treatment strategies for adolescents. However, such options are currently largely missing.

Conclusion and outlook

The challenge of promoting healthy use of digital media is clearly present. It is essential to expand offerings to support healthy media use and to evaluate the effectiveness of these programs. Exercise, mindfulness, and other activities that promote a sense of control could help reduce PSU and improve psychological well-being, especially during challenging times. The study by Prof. Dr. Soucek and his colleagues is an important step on this path, but also indicates the urgency of undertaking further research efforts to develop effective strategies to combat problematic media use.