Large datasets show only a tiny average association; effects likely depend on the person and type of use.
What the evidence shows
Alongside rising teen distress in several countries, many argue smartphones and social media are the cause. The claim is plausible and important — but measuring it well is hard, and small correlations can be spun either way.
Orben & Przybylski (2019) analysed several large datasets covering hundreds of thousands of adolescents using rigorous 'specification curve' methods and found the association between digital-technology use and well-being was real but tiny — comparable in size to the association with wearing glasses or eating potatoes, and far smaller than factors like bullying or sleep. The debate continues, with newer work suggesting harms may concentrate at certain ages, for heavy users, or for specific platforms and content. So blanket alarm is not supported by the average effect, but neither is complacency; the honest verdict is mixed and depends heavily on who and how.
Sources
Orben, A., & Przybylski, A. K. (2019). The association between adolescent well-being and digital technology use.
Nature Human Behaviour, 3(2), 173–182
Across large datasets, digital-technology use explained at most ~0.4% of variation in adolescent well-being — a very small effect.
DOI: 10.1038/s41562-018-0506-1 →