Impacts of digital media use on children and young people's mental health and wellbeing: evidence review

Executive summary

Background and aims

Digital media, including exposure to screens and use of online platforms, play a prominent role in the lives of today’s children and young people. Digital activities and technologies can expose children and young people to opportunities but also harm, with implications for their mental health and wellbeing.

The Online Safety Taskforce Action Plan was published in March 2026, bringing together the Scottish Government’s key priorities on online safety. The Action Plan includes a commitment to conduct a review of research on the impact of digital media on children and young people’s wellbeing. This will inform the Scottish Government’s approach to positive digital behaviours, and support implementation of the Action Plan.

This rapid review synthesises evidence from 141 sources published between August 2023 – July 2026 on the impacts of digital media on children and young people’s mental health and wellbeing.

Findings

Analysis and synthesis of the evidence led to the development of four themes:

Digital media use and mental health and wellbeing across developmental stages

Impacts of digital media use vary across developmental stages. Evidence relating to babies and younger children is distinct from that for older children and young people. The early years literature focuses on screen exposure and associations with language, developmental and behavioural outcomes. This literature indicates that content, timing and context of exposure, including the wider family environment, may influence these associations.

Across older children and young people, studies consider different types of digital media use and specific online experiences. Literature identifies associations with poorer mental health and wellbeing, whilst also highlighting potential benefits of some forms of digital media use. Studies indicate that mental health and wellbeing outcomes are influenced by the contexts in which use occurs, including family, friendships and education.

These findings suggest that developmental stage should be considered when developing policies and interventions aimed at supporting children's and young people's wellbeing in digital environments.

Factors shaping the relationship between digital media use and mental health and wellbeing

Evidence suggests that associations between digital media use and mental health and wellbeing are shaped by how young people experience use, rather than screen time alone. The literature identifies several potentially harmful experiences and patterns of engagement associated with poorer outcomes for older children and young people. These include social comparison, self-presentation pressures, cyberbullying, sleep disruption and exposure to harmful content.

Studies distinguish between passive activities, such as scrolling or viewing content, and more active forms of engagement, including posting content, messaging and maintaining social relationships. Some forms of active engagement are associated with more positive wellbeing outcomes than passive use. Several studies also suggest that different levels of use may be associated with different outcomes.

In the literature reviewed, harmful online experiences were often more strongly associated with poorer wellbeing than digital media use alone. Studies also indicate that existing vulnerabilities and offline contexts shape digital media experiences, as well as their consequences.

Findings suggest that policy responses should account for how older children and young people use and experience digital media, including efforts to address harmful online experiences and exposures, rather than screen time alone.

Impacts of digital media use across different groups of young people

Digital media use does not affect all children and young people in the same way. The literature demonstrates that girls often report poorer mental health and wellbeing outcomes associated with digital media use, alongside greater exposure to cyberbullying, problematic use and self-presentation pressures. LGBTQ+ young people have described digital media as a “double-edged sword”, providing opportunities for identity affirmation, belonging and community connection but also exposure to online harms. Evidence suggests that young people with existing vulnerabilities or lived experience of adversity may be more susceptible to some adverse impacts of digital media use.

Digital media use interacts with existing social and economic inequalities. Socioeconomic circumstances, experiences of marginalisation and wider social contexts influence access to digital media, patterns of engagement and exposure to risks and support.

This suggests that policies addressing digital harms may need to include targeted approaches for groups of older children and young people who are more susceptible to particular online risks.

Protective factors

Supportive relationships were consistently associated with more positive wellbeing outcomes. Several studies explored parental involvement in older children and young people’s digital media use and found that supportive communication, guidance and engagement were associated with better outcomes than approaches focused on restriction or control.

Digital literacy and critical engagement with digital media may help older children and young people navigate online risks. Studies suggested that understanding how digital platforms operate, recognising manipulated content and knowing how to respond to online harms may foster digital resilience and support safer digital engagement. Young people themselves highlighted the importance of wider structural factors in protecting them from harm, including safer platform design.

Physical activity was also identified as a potential protective factor, with evidence suggesting that physically active adolescents may be less vulnerable to some of the negative effects associated with problematic use.

Overall, the evidence suggests that reducing harm and promoting positive wellbeing in digital environments is likely to require action at multiple levels.

Conclusion

Digital media use encompasses a variety of technologies and activities. Overall, the literature reviewed suggests that digital media use may be associated with a range of mental health and wellbeing outcomes among children and young people. However, findings vary across studies, and these associations appear to be influenced by factors such as the type of digital media use, patterns of engagement, online experiences, and the contexts in which use occurs.

The review has identified important methodological limitations, particularly regarding causality and the direction of associations between digital media use and mental health and wellbeing. Variation across studies reflects differences in study populations, measures of digital media use, outcomes examined and study methodologies. Whilst these limitations warrant consideration, the literature suggests that there may be a role for policy interventions to reduce potential harms and support positive digital experiences among children and young people.

Evidence indicates that policies promoting positive digital media use should reflect the diversity of children and young people's experiences and factors that shape them. Developmental stage should be taken into account, with digital media exposure, use and its implications differing across the early years, older childhood, adolescence and emerging adulthood. The literature also highlights the importance of moving beyond a sole focus on screen time towards understanding how digital media is used and experienced.

Approaches that strengthen supportive relationships, promote digital literacy and critical engagement, encourage healthy behaviours, and reduce exposure to online harms may support children and young people's mental health and wellbeing in digital environments. Achieving this requires action by families, schools, communities, policymakers and technology companies.

Meaningful involvement of children and young people is vital to ensure that research, policy and practice reflect their lived experiences in rapidly changing digital environments.