Studies have shown that using your phone at night can interfere with your sleep, but whether it plays a role in mental health has been difficult to understand. In a new study published in the journal Scientific Reports, researchers at the University of Copenhagen analyzed over 250,000 smartphone activities during self-reported sleep periods among over 800 young adults, looking at their effects on loneliness, depressive symptoms, perceived stress, and low life satisfaction. They found that frequent nighttime smartphone use was associated with a small decrease in depressive symptoms over time. It’s important to recognize that the smartphone activities studied involved social interaction. Social relations and social interactions are generally beneficial to mental health. It seems likely that the nature of your nighttime smartphone use matters, as interacting with friends on social media might be more beneficial for your mental health than playing games or watching videos.
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