HMN 2025: How Young people want adults to be involved in their digital lives

Young people have a nuanced view of how their digital lives affect their mental health and want more support and involvement from the adults around them. This is shown in an international study published in The Journal of Adolescent Health by researchers at Karolinska Institutet in collaboration with UNICEF.

“It was surprising how similarly adolescents from different countries spoke about both the effects of digital environments and the support they want from adults,” says Leo Ziegel, doctor and researcher at the Department of Global Public Health, Karolinska Institutet, and co-first author of the study. “It says a great deal about how we live in a globalized digital world today.”

A nuanced view

The young people described how constant comparisons with others can create negative feelings. Many feel that body ideals and social norms are reinforced online, and that the number of “likes” becomes a measure of self-worth.

Bullying and harassment that begins at school can also continue online, making it difficult to find opportunities to recover. In addition, the adolescents described how they can become ‘addicted’ to their phones and spend many hours passively scrolling on social media.

At the same time, they highlighted several positive aspects. Digital platforms play a crucial role in the social lives of many young people. Even purely virtual friendships were perceived as very important, with the opportunity to meet peers with similar interests and be accepted for who you are. For some, it may be easier to talk about mental health online, especially in communities where such issues are taboo.

Need more support from adults

Young people stated that adults are not sufficiently involved or do not understand what children and adolescents do online, and that many adults do not reflect on their own digital everyday lives.

“As a parent, it is good to try to have an open dialog with your children about these issues and also to try to be a good role model,” says Carl Fredrik Sjöland, doctor and Ph.D. student at the Department of Global Public Health, Karolinska Institutet, and co-first author of the study.

“Teachers and decision-makers also need to engage with young people’s digital lives and take their perspectives into account. Initiatives that promote safer online environments should be designed together with young people to be relevant.”

The study did not focus on how much time young people spend on their mobile phones or computers, but according to the adolescents themselves, it is not only screen time that matters for mental health. At least as important is what they do online, how and with whom they communicate, and whether it affects their sleep, studies or social activities.

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