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Verification of the Goldilocks Hypothesis: the association between screen use, digital media and psychiatric symptoms in the Growing Up in Ireland study

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Abstract

Aims

This study aims to replicate Przybylski and Weinstein (Psychol Sci 28(2):204–215, 2017), using a large population cohort to examine the validity of the proposed Goldilocks Hypothesis, which states that moderate digital media engagement may be beneficial and that both high and low usage may have a negative relationship with mental wellbeing.

Methods

Using the GUI98 cohort, we used separate weekday and weekend time-based categorical variables indicating time spent online, playing video games, watching TV/films as well as a frequency variable indicating multiscreening, and their associations with SDQ internalizing and externalizing symptoms using linear and quadratic regression parameters. We followed procedures for confounder adjustments outlined in Przybylski and Weinstein (Psychol Sci 28(2):204–215, 2017).

Results

As hypothesized by the Goldilocks Hypothesis, time spent online watching TV/films at the weekend and multiscreening all had curvilinear relationships with internalizing and externalizing symptoms with significantly higher symptoms for no time as well as for higher exposures. internalizing and externalizing symptoms increased with time spent playing video games.

Conclusions

This brief report supports the Goldilocks Hypothesis, that suggests that moderate use of digital technology is not intrinsically harmful and may instead be beneficial, even necessary in a world becoming ever more increasingly reliant on digital media (Przybylski and Weinstein in Psychol Sci 28(2):204–215, 2017).

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Fig. 1

Data availability

THE GUI datasets are available upon application to the ISSDA in Ireland.

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Acknowledgements

This Project was funded by the Health Research Board (HRB) in Ireland. Special thanks to the TeenPath Steering Committee.

Funding

The funding has been received from Health Research Board.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Sociology, Trinity College Dublin, 3 College Green, Dublin 2, Ireland

    Ross Brannigan, Olivia McEvoy & Richard Layte

  2. Department of Public Health and Epidemiology, Royal College of Surgeons Ireland, Dublin, Ireland

    Frances Cronin & Debbi Stanistreet

Authors
  1. Ross Brannigan
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  2. Frances Cronin
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  3. Olivia McEvoy
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  4. Debbi Stanistreet
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  5. Richard Layte
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Ross Brannigan.

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Authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.

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Brannigan, R., Cronin, F., McEvoy, O. et al. Verification of the Goldilocks Hypothesis: the association between screen use, digital media and psychiatric symptoms in the Growing Up in Ireland study. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol 58, 1259–1264 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-022-02352-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-022-02352-5

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