Smartphones, social media use and youth mental health

Yes, there has been growing numbers of reports linking adolescent smartphone use with increased incidence of anxiety and depression. We hypothesize there is an underlying neurophysiological determinant behind the correlation currently being observed caused by chronic exposure to electromagnetic radiation from mobile devices. More specifically, that increased irregular pulsed microwave radiation decreases serotonin biosynthesis and/or signalling, which has been known to influence optimism, personality, and mental health. Individual emotional well-being of adolescents is therefore impacted through the alteration of serotonin upon ever greater exposure to 'man-made' electromagnetic radiation.
Current scientific research has demonstrated that aspects of cognitive function are affected by mobile phone EMR. Learning, memory, and various neurotransmitters, including serotonin, in the brain of animals are vulnerable to EMR. Wang & Lai (2000) found that rats exposed to pulsed EMR displayed suppressed learning and impaired spatial memory. Specifically, exposure to pulsed EMR emitted from mobile phones affects brain functions through the changes in monoamine neurotransmitters, especially in the hippocampus and hypothalamus. Wilson (1988) postulates exposure to extremely low frequency EMFs as “potentially contributing factor in depression”. Kumar et al. (2016) confirm this, stating exposure to chronic microwave radiation causes anxiety- and depression-like behaviours in laboratory mice. Furthermore, adult rats exposed to microwave radiation for one month showed significant reduction in levels of serotonin in the hippocampus, concluding “low-intensity microwave radiation may cause learning and memory disturbances by altering levels of brain monoamine neurotransmitters at mRNA and protein levels”. Zhi et al. (2017) also verify that radar microwave radiation leads to lower short-term memory performance, somatic anxiety and insomnia, social dysfunction, and severe depression in humans. The central nervous system (CNS) is extremely sensitive to microwave radiation and a child’s nervous system is developing, thus making the brain of the pediatric population more vulnerable. When a child holds a mobile phone to their ear, the average specific absorption rate (SAR) is twice as high in the pediatric brain compared to adults. Although happiness is typically understood to be a subjective and qualitative term, research has now shown a molecular basis to this state of mind which is influenced by wireless technology. Specifically, EMR has clearly been shown to alter monoamine neurotransmitters including serotonin in the brain and consequently reduces mental health with greater levels of exposure.

We thank Messrs. Darren and Brandon Laur for highlighting a number of studies published since the past year that did not find a significant correlation between social media and smartphone use and mental health difficulties. This is a very rapidly growing field, with hundreds of studies – both negative and positive – published in the last year alone. Thus, any manuscript going through the peer review process will necessarily miss the most recent studies.

Nevertheless, while our paper focuses on the potential challenges from smartphone and social media use, we do describe findings that show no negative impact on mental health, and those showing positive effects. Heterogeneous findings across and within studies are likely the result of multiple factors, in particular those related to context and inter-individual differences. This is a complex area that will continue to evolve, especially as society continues to adapt to the important changes in interpersonal communication in recent years, and there will likely be generational cohort effects.

As to the potential role of social media to increase access to mental health care, this as an important and separate topic that is beyond the scope of our analysis. Nonetheless, as we state in our paper, “for adolescents today, who have not known a world without social media, digital interactions are the norm, and the potential benefits of online access to productive mental health information — including media literacy, creativity, self-expression, sense of belonging and civic engagement — as well as low barriers to resources such as crisis lines and Internet-based talking therapies cannot be discounted.”

Finally, while we believe the evidence supports a likely role of smartphones and social media in mental health struggles among youth, this is unlikely to be the sole explanation. Rather, there are likely other factors, including socioeconomic and cultural, that are interacting and contributing to the recent trends in youth mental distress. It is imperative that such factors be thoroughly investigated and that we respond swiftly and thoughtfully with – as we conclude in our paper – “initiatives aimed at addressing the social, environmental and economic factors that underpin family well-being and nurture youth resilience.”