ABSTRACT
Purpose: Adolescent interactive media use increased dramatically during the Covid-19 pandemic, both for remote learning and socializing. Pandemic lockdown and media use contributed to a spike in mental health issues, but less is known about physical consequences of prolonged media use or the individual characteristics and media use habits that predict these physical outcomes. With many restrictions lifted in summer 2021, changes in adolescents’ media use habits and health effects can help predict the “new normal.” Methods: A sample of 415 parents of adolescents in grades 9-12 was recruited by Alchemer using existing online panels as part of a nationwide online survey of parents of school-aged children (N = 1,447). Quota sampling was used to obtain a diverse sample. Parents completed a 15-minute anonymous survey about their child’s summer media use and physical complaints including eye strain, neck or back pain, headaches, and fatigue. Other questions assessed habits of media use, including simultaneous use of multiple screens (“multitasking”) and nighttime media use. Parents provided the number of behavioral health diagnoses of their child including ADHD, depression, anxiety, learning disabilities, and autism spectrum disorder. We conducted logistic regressions to examine associations among individual characteristics, media use patterns, and physical symptoms. Results: Most adolescents used screen media more during the summer of 2021 than during the 2020-2021 school year (65.5%) or the summer of 2020 (53.8%). 71.3% of parents reported that their child experienced at least one physical symptom “sometimes” or more frequently following a typical day of media use. After controlling for demographic variables, “multitasking” frequency was linked to experiencing eye strain (OR = 1.01, CI = 1.00, 1.02), back or neck pain (OR = 1.02, CI = 1.01,1.03), headaches (OR = 1.02, CI = 1.01,1.03), and fatigue (OR = 1.02, CI = 1.01, 1.03). The later that adolescents stopped using media at night, the more likely they were to experience fatigue (OR =1.10, CI = 1.01, 1.20). Using media to view short videos was related to a lower odds of experiencing back or neck pain (OR =.55, CI =.32,.93). Finally, the greater the number of behavioral health diagnoses the higher the likelihood that an adolescent would experience back or neck pain (OR = 1.45, CI = 1.15, 1.82), headaches (OR = 1.59, CI = 1.26, 2.01), or fatigue (OR = 1.91, CI = 1.48, 2.47). Conclusions: “Multitasking” was consistently associated with physical symptoms, although the association was small. Late night media use likely reduces and interferes with sleep, thereby contributing to fatigue. Behavioral health conditions may predispose adolescents to certain use habits, including physical positioning, that could increase physical symptoms associated with screen use. Until further research clarifies mechanisms linking media use to physical symptoms, encouraging the use of one screen at a time and earlier cessation of use may help reduce these problems. Sources of Support: Digital Wellness Lab.