The Oxford Internet Institute’s major international study challenges assumptions about the negative psychological effects of internet use. Analyzing data from two million individuals across 168 countries, the research found only small and inconsistent links between internet adoption and psychological well-being. Professors Przybylski and Vuorre noted minimal changes in global well-being and mental health over the last two decades. The study debunked popular ideas that certain demographic groups, including women and young girls, are more at risk. While the team acknowledges a slight association between increased mobile broadband adoption and greater life satisfaction, it deems the impact too small to be practically significant. The researchers emphasize the need for more transparent data from technology companies to conclusively understand the effects of internet use. The study contrasts well-being and mental health data with per capita internet users and mobile broadband subscriptions, challenging the notion that internet adoption predicts psychological well-being. The researchers stress the importance of studying individual adoption and engagement with internet technologies using more accessible and transparent data.
Source NeuroScienceNews
