Skärmtidens påverkan på mental hälsa : En scoping review om skärmtidens roll i barn och ungas mentala hälsa

Through digitalization and technological advancements, the use of digital media has increased significantly. In particular, the younger generation is constantly surrounded by technology. This raises the question of how children and adolescents’ mental health is affected by different types of screen time, which are part of both their education and leisure time. To investigate this, the study adopted a scoping review, which allowed for mapping the existing studies in the research field and synthesizing their results. We identified 14 studies and aggregated their information through a narrative analysis. The aim of the study is to develop a deeper understanding of the relationship between screen time and mental health by examining both negative and positive aspects. The study explores the relationship with the help of moderating variables such as physical activity, gender, sleep, socioeconomic status, and ethnicity. An additional aspect being examined is the different types of digital media, including TV watching, gaming, social media, smartphone use, and computer use. The results show that all 14 studies demonstrate a connection between screen time and mental health issues, but 9 out of 14 studies indicated that a positive relationship may exist when the use is within an optimal range. This makes the relationship complex and contradictory, highlighting that the connection is not linear. These findings are further complemented by moderating variables and different types of screen time, as varying combinations of these can lead to a change in the effects of screen time. The conclusion focuses on the results of our study and how research on the effects of screen time is highly relevant in today’s context. In a society where technology is constantly evolving, it is important to have knowledge about the pressures faced by the younger generation to develop guidelines that can prevent potential negative consequences.