Leisure screen time linked to higher psychological distress in teens

By Dr. Priyom Bose, Ph.D.Reviewed by Benedette Cuffari, M.Sc.Feb 26 2025

Different types of sedentary behavior impact adolescent mental health, with excessive leisure screen time linked to higher psychological distress, while educational activities appear to have a protective effect.

Study: Prospective Association of Sedentary Behavior With Psychological Distress Among Adolescents. Image Credit: fizkes / Shutterstock.com

A recent Journal of Adolescent Health study investigates whether different types and contexts of sedentary behavior during the middle stages of adolescence lead to psychological distress later on in adolescence.

Rising mental health issues among adolescents

A higher prevalence of mental health disorders, particularly depression and anxiety, has been observed among adolescents throughout the world. In fact, one recent study reported that 16.1% of adolescents in the United Kingdom experience psychological distress associated with nonspecific symptoms.

Similarly, another study estimated that approximately 4.6% and 2.8% of adolescents between 15 and 19 years of age experience anxiety and depression, respectively. The rising rates of these disorders among adolescents emphasizes the need to identify potential risk factors for psychological distress.  

Several studies have highlighted the role of physical activity and sedentary behavior on the development of mental health disorders. Sedentary behavior, which is defined as any waking behavior with low energy expenditures, is associated with distinct activities including computer use, reading, attending a class, and watching television that may be practiced in different contexts, such as transportation, leisure time, and school.

Previously, researchers reported that over three hours every day of screen-based sedentary behavior increases the risks of depressive symptoms. Despite these observations, few studies have explored whether educational activities and leisure non-screen sedentary behaviors, such as reading for leisure and listening to music, cause psychological distress.

About the study

The current study investigated whether different types and contexts of sedentary behaviors induce psychological distress among adolescents. Herein, nationally representative data on children from the Millennium Cohort Study in the U.K. were obtained between September 2000 and January 2002.

In 2015, study participants completed an activity diary, in which the fourteen-year-olds reported their activities between 4 AM each day and 4 AM of the following day in 10-minute timeslots

From this information, different contexts of sedentary behavior including time browsing the internet for leisure, listening to music, using social media, watching television or videos, reading for leisure, doing homework or attending class, and playing electronic games were identified, along with the time spent on each item. Different identified contexts were classified as leisure-based screen time, leisure-based non-screen time, and educational sedentary behavior.

Psychological distress was evaluated based on a six-item Kessler psychological distress scale that included nervousness, depressive mood, hopelessness, lack of energy, worthlessness, and restlessness. Each item contained five response options on a Likert scale ranging from none of the time to all the time.

Impact of sedentary behavior on psychological distress

The current study highlights an association between sedentary behavior and psychological distress among adolescents, which was found to be influenced by the type and context of these behaviors.

An increase in one hour of playing video games was associated with a 3% greater likelihood of psychological distress. In contrast, an increase in one hour of reading for leisure was associated with a 5% increased risk of psychological distress for the entire cohort.

Leisure-based activities, such as playing video games and reading, were prospectively associated with increased psychological distress. As compared to leisure non-screen and educational sedentary behaviors, excessive leisure-time screen exposure of over three hours every day was strongly associated with higher levels of subsequent psychological distress.

Children who play electronic games for more than 180 minutes every day experience more psychological distress. Comparatively, moderate durations between 60 and 119 minutes of time spent on social media and doing homework were associated with lower psychological distress.

Study participants who were engaged in educational sedentary behavior for over 300 minutes every day were less likely to experiencea psychological distress. Increased time spent playing video games and reading for leisure was associated with higher subsequent psychological distress as compared to durations of less than 180 minutes each day.

As compared to boys, girls were more vulnerable to psychological distress from their time spent listening to music/radio/other audio content, doing homework, watching television, and using social media. Boys were more likely to use the internet for leisure, practice physical activity, and play video games than girls.

Leisure non-screen time was higher among girls as compared to boys. Notably, leisure-based screen time was associated with a higher risk of psychological distress.

Conclusions

The study findings establish a relationship between sedentary behavior and psychological distress during adolescence in a context-dependent manner. Although extended leisure-based screen time increased the risk of psychological distress, this association was not observed for leisure-based non-screen time and educational sedentary behaviors.