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Excessive cell phone and computer use is fraught with depression and insomnia
Medical expert of the article
Last reviewed: 01.07.2025
Excessive use of mobile phones and computers can have a negative impact on the mental health of young people, causing sleep disorders, depression and increased stress levels, according to researcher Sara Tome from Sahlgrenska Academy in Gothenburg.
She bases her conclusions on the results of research in which 4,100 people took part - through questionnaires - as well as data from a sample survey of 32 avid users of information and communication technologies. The participants in the study were observed over the course of 1 year.
In her own work, Sarah Tome summarizes, for example, that excessive use of mobile communications leads to sleep pathology in young men, and, among other things, to the formation of depressive disorders in both sexes. Inseparability from the computer increases the chance of sleep difficulties, stress and depression in girls, while the stronger sex in this case only risks normal sleep.
"There is a link between systematically sitting in front of a computer late at night and sleep problems and depressive episodes in both men and women," Sarah Tohme emphasizes.
One of the main conclusions drawn from the study is that health authorities should inform young people about the possible negative side effects of advanced technologies. In this case, "breaks in their use, time for recovery after active work, setting limits on one's own accessibility" are especially desirable.
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