STUDENTS ''SCREEN'' SURPRISES

LITTLE evidence  that students/ teenagers are harmed by screen time, study says.

Using smartphones and other screens has little impact on the wellbeing of teenagers - even before they go to sleep, according to a study.

Despite the common belief that screen time could damage young people's mental health,   researchers  at Oxford University  have  found  little evidence to support these fears, using data     from more than 17,000 students/teenagers.

''Implementing best practice, statistical and methodological techniques we found little evidence, for substantial negative associations between digital screen engagement and adolescent well-being.'' said Amy Orben, researcher at the Oxford Internet Institute.

Time-use diaries and self-reported measures were used in the study from almost  12,000 adolescents in the U.K., just over  4,500 from Ireland, and 790 in the U.S.

Results suggest that the total amount of time spent on screens per a day had a limited impact on teenager's mental health, regardless of it being a a weekend or a weekday.

It also notes that digital screen usage two hours, one hour or even 30 minutes before sleeping presented no clear associations with a drop in wellbeing among teenagers.

''While psychological science can be a powerful tool for understanding the the  link between  screen-use  and adolescent wellbeing, it still routinely fails to supply stakeholders  and the public with-

With  high-quality, transparent and objective investigations into growing concerns about digital technologies,'' said Professor Andrew Przbyliski, director of research, at the Oxford Internet Institute and co-author on the study, published in the Psychological Science journal.

''Analysing three   different  datasets,  which    include     improved measurements of  screen time, we found little clear cut evidence that screen time decreases adolescent wellbeing, even if the use of digital technology occurs directly before bedtime.''

The findings come as the  Government  prepares to release its white paper on online harms on Monday, which could make social media bosses personally accountable for  harmful content  published on their platforms.

Ministers will legislate for a new  ''duty of care''  to be policed by an independent regulator, according to the proposal leaked to the Guardian. [Agencies].