A comprehensive study conducted by Oxford University, involving approximately two million participants, challenges common assumptions about the detrimental impact of internet use on mental health. Released in a statement, the researchers assert that the links between internet adoption and psychological well-being are, at most, small. The study aimed to assess changes in three indicators of psychological well-being, including life satisfaction, over time in correlation with internet and mobile broadband usage.
Self-assessment questionnaires and data analysis from 2,434,203 individuals aged 15 to 89 across 168 countries from 2005 to 2022 formed the basis of the investigation. Despite observing an increase in both positive and negative experiences among participants during this period, the researchers found no significant evidence attributing these changes to internet use. The study authors contend that the few associations noted between internet use and mental health were smaller and less consistent than expected if the internet were causing widespread psychological harm.
Professor Andrew Przybylski, affiliated with the Oxford Internet Institute, stated, “We looked very hard for a ‘smoking gun’ linking technology and well-being, and we didn’t find it.” Co-author Dr. Matti Vuorre added that despite studying the most extensive data on well-being and internet adoption, they could not address causal effects, and their results indicated small and inconsistent associations.
In an effort to identify patterns based on age and gender, the researchers found no specific demographic trends among internet users, including women and girls. On average, life satisfaction increased more among women over the study period. While the study authors acknowledge certain limitations, including a lack of data provided by technology companies, they emphasize that research on the effects of internet technologies is hindered by data being held behind closed doors.
The study concludes by highlighting the need to obtain and utilize this data to conduct more detailed examinations into whether internet use genuinely has adverse effects on users’ mental health.