Passive scrolling linked to increased anxiety in teens, study finds

A new study published in Computers in Human Behavior finds that adolescents who spend more than two hours per day on screens, especially on weekdays, are more likely to report clinically elevated anxiety and emotional or behavioral difficulties. Among various screen use behaviors, passive scrolling—browsing through content without engaging—was most strongly associated with poorer mental health, even after accounting for age, gender, and pre-existing vulnerabilities.

The researchers behind the study set out to examine how adolescents’ screen time habits relate to mental health in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. Adolescents’ screen use rose dramatically during the pandemic, both out of necessity and as a coping strategy during periods of social isolation. Although prior research has shown mixed results about the link between screen time and mental health, the potential risks of excessive or passive digital media use remain a public concern—especially for adolescents, who are still undergoing significant cognitive and emotional development.

“Our group conducted several studies during the pandemic demonstrating a rapid rise in screen time in children. We studied children over time and found that even after restrictions ended, screen use remained high and was associated with anxiety and depression. In teens, anxiety is generally higher compared to younger children, so we wanted to better understand screen use in teens and how it could be associated with mental health,” said study author Emma Duerden, a Canada Research Chair in Neuroscience and Learning Disorders and an associate professor at Western University.

The researchers were particularly interested in exploring both the quantity and quality of adolescents’ screen use. While many guidelines recommend limiting recreational screen time to two hours per day, these guidelines are often difficult to enforce and may not capture the nuances of modern digital behavior. Adolescents use screens not only for entertainment, but also to maintain social connections, express themselves creatively, and engage with educational content. The study aimed to identify which specific screen use behaviors were most strongly linked to poor mental health, and whether these patterns differed for adolescents with pre-existing developmental or psychiatric vulnerabilities.

To investigate these questions, the researchers surveyed 580 adolescents between the ages of 12 and 17 in the United States and Canada between December 2022 and August 2023. Participants were recruited through the online research platform Prolific. They completed a series of self-report questionnaires that assessed demographic characteristics, existing health conditions, and school settings, along with validated mental health measures.

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Anxiety symptoms were assessed using the Screen for Child Anxiety Related Emotional Disorders, while emotional and behavioral issues were measured with the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. To understand screen use habits, participants completed items from the SCREENS-Q tool, which captures both time-based measures (total screen time on weekdays and weekends) and behavior-based patterns such as passive scrolling and content posting on social media.

The researchers found that nearly half of the adolescents without any pre-existing vulnerabilities still reported anxiety levels that fell within the clinical range. When comparing groups, 72% of adolescents with developmental or psychiatric vulnerabilities reported clinically elevated anxiety, compared to 45% of those without. Emotional and behavioral difficulties followed a similar pattern, affecting 42% of adolescents with pre-existing vulnerabilities and 13% of those without.

“We found that in our sample, 45% of teens reported having anxiety in clinically elevated ranges,” Duerden told PsyPost. “Before the pandemic, anxiety was reported in about 8–15% of teens, so this represents a significant increase, which is concerning. In Ontario alone, tens of thousands of children and adolescents are on waitlists for mental health services. With few supports available in the community, identifying targets for prevention and resilience is key.”

Screen use was widespread and often exceeded guideline recommendations. Only 31% of adolescents stayed below the two-hour daily screen time limit on weekdays, and this figure dropped to just 14% on weekends. Older adolescents were more likely to engage in passive scrolling and content posting, although pre-existing conditions did not predict differences in screen behaviors.

Across the entire sample, increased screen time on weekdays was strongly associated with both anxiety and emotional or behavioral issues. Adolescents who exceeded two hours of screen time on weekdays were more than twice as likely to report clinically elevated anxiety and four times more likely to show emotional or behavioral difficulties. Although weekend screen use also showed associations with mental health problems, the patterns were less pronounced.

When examining specific screen behaviors, passive scrolling emerged as a consistent predictor of poor mental health. More time spent scrolling through content—whether on social media, video platforms, or other media—was associated with higher anxiety and more emotional and behavioral problems. These associations held even after adjusting for age, gender, and the presence of pre-existing vulnerabilities. By contrast, content posting—an indicator of more active engagement—had a much weaker association with mental health outcomes.

“Reducing screen time to 2 hours per day during weekdays and limiting scrolling on social media could go a long way in terms of protecting teen mental health,” Duerden said.

The results also revealed that girls were more likely to experience elevated anxiety levels, although no consistent gender differences emerged in terms of screen use habits. The study did not find strong evidence that adolescents with pre-existing vulnerabilities used screens more often or in more passive ways than their peers, suggesting that certain mental health risks of screen use may apply broadly across adolescent populations.

The findings support growing concerns about the potential harms of unstructured and passive screen use during critical developmental periods. For adolescents, school days typically offer some structure that can help regulate behavior and provide opportunities for face-to-face interaction. When screen use extends beyond two hours on these days, it may reflect or contribute to unstructured routines, reduced physical activity, social isolation, or sleep disruptions—all of which are linked to anxiety and behavioral problems.

As with any study, there are caveats to consider. Because it was based on self-report data collected online, the accuracy of participants’ responses could be influenced by recall bias or social desirability. The cross-sectional design also makes it impossible to determine whether screen use directly causes poor mental health, or if adolescents who are already experiencing distress are more likely to turn to screens.

“This was an online study, so those without internet access were not captured in our sample,” Duerden noted. “The study findings were based on a single time point, and the results were based on self-report items. Having parent or teacher reports and more time points could give a broader picture concerning the association of screen time and screen behaviors with teen mental health. We are planning to conduct long-term studies with children and teens. We also have several brain imaging studies that are ongoing to better understand brain-behavior relationships.”

The study, “Screen time woes: Social media posting, scrolling, externalizing behaviors, and anxiety in adolescents,” was authored by Eun Jung Choi, Ella Christiaans, and Emma G. Duerden.