Publication year
2015
Citation Title
Media use and depression: Exposure, household rules, and symptoms among young adolescents in the USA
Journal Name
International Journal of Public Health
Journal Volume
60
Issue Number
2
Page Numbers
147-155
DOI
10.1007/s00038-014-0647-6
Summary
Adolescents currently use electronic media an average of approximately eight hours each day, and some research suggests heavy media use may be linked to depression. This study examined the effects of media use, parent media use rules, and depression levels among youth at baseline and a one-year follow-up. Findings suggest greater media use, particularly television and mobile phone use, may put youth at increased risk for depression.
Key Findings
High baseline mobile phone use was significantly associated with increased baseline depression; there were no other significant associations between baseline media use and depression.
More television and mobile phone use, but not video game, music, or computer use, at baseline was related to higher levels of depression among youth at the one-year follow-up.
Youth whose parents had rules about television use, but not video game use, had lower levels of depression at the one-year follow-up.
Implications for Military Professionals
Collaborate with military parenting programs to educate parents on the potentially harmful effects of high electronic media use in youth, particularly for television and mobile phones
Facilitate after-school groups for military youth emphasizing activities without electronic media
Implications for Program Leaders
Offer education for military parents on youth access to electronic media and setting media use rules
Provide after-school programs for military youth to promote social support and physical activity
Implications for Policy Makers
Promote additional research on media use and depression levels, specifically in military youth
Encourage education for professionals who work in military youth programs around alternative activities to media use
Methods
Young adolescents, ages 12-15 years old, were recruited from public schools, after-school programs, and summer camps in a small city near Boston.
At baseline, youth completed mental health, parent monitoring, and media use surveys; media use was also assessed via time use journal logs and random, real-time electronic questionnaires.
Associations between baseline media use, parent media use rules, and one-year follow-up depression levels were examined, controlling for race, sex, parent education, overall parental monitoring, and baseline depression levels.
Participants
The sample included 126 seventh through ninth grade youth, with an average age of 14.04 years. Youth were 53% male and 55% White.
Sample size for each analysis depended upon the completion rate of each measure, with all measures being completed by between 92 and 125 of the 126 participating youth.
Limitations
Since only parent media use rules regarding television and video games, not mobile phones, music, or computers, were collected, no conclusions can be drawn about whether or not parent media use rules for these devices would be beneficial.
Entering media use into journal logs may have caused youth to think about and change usage.
Media use was not collected at the one-year follow-up, so results could not take into account the effects of current media use at follow-up.
Other factors (e.g., parent depression, child activity level) could have impacted the results and were not considered in the analyses.
Avenues for Future Research
Consider the effect of cyberbullying on youth media use and depression levels
Examine which types of television content, such as violence or comedy, impact youth depression levels
Compare the effects of media use among youth when used alone or with others present
Focus
Civilian
Target Population
Population Focus
Abstract
Objectives: To determine the longitudinal and cross-sectional associations between different types of electronic media use (mobile phones, TV, computers, video games, and music) and young adolescents’ depressive symptoms, and to explore the potential for household media rules to reduce young people’s depression. Methods 126 young adolescents were recruited from the Northeastern USA. Each type of media use was assessed using survey questions, time use diaries, and ecological momentary assessment. The Beck Depression Index for Primary Care was administered at baseline and 1 year later as part of a questionnaire that also included items assessing the presence of household rules about TV and video games. Results Baseline use of mobile phones and TV viewing were associated with higher levels of depression 1 year later controlling for demographic information and baseline depression score. Having household rules about TV at baseline predicted lower levels of depression at follow-up. Conclusions Both TV viewing and mobile phone use may contribute to the development of depressive symptoms. Implementing household rules about the duration and content of TV could help reduce depression in young adolescents.
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