The latest book by American sociologist Jonathan Haidt, The Anxious Generationhas generated a certain stir by pointing directly to cell phones as the cause of the decline in the mental health of adolescents. Along the same lines, the Spanishassociation of Pediatrics urges delaying screen exhibition until the age of 6. The recent report of the committee of Experts for the development of a safe digital environment for youth and children echoes this recommendation, and adds that, up to the age of 16, it is better to use a mobile device without an Internet connection.

However, the scientific discussion is still open. Thus, a study by the University of Oxford recognized that the cell phone explained the negative variation in the well-being of adolescents by only 0.4%. This influence is similar, for example, to the influence of wearing glasses.

The smartphone has become the main way to access the Internet in Western societies. agreement to data from the National Institute of Statistics, in 2023, 92% of the Spanish population between 16 and 74 years of age used this device to access the Internet. A 2025 study reveals that 70 % of children between 10 and 15 years of age have a smart phone, a figure that reaches 96 % at the age of 15.

Observation of reality allows us to identify reasons for concern about the impact of cell phones on mental health. The high amount of time spent on this screen, access to harmful content or risky situations, the FOMO ( fear of missing out or fear of missing out) generated by constant activity on social networks or the insistent exhibition of images of idealized lives and bodies are some of them.

However, one of the problems in establishing causal relationships between cell phones and mental health is the difficulty of having longitudinal (over time) programs of study . To alleviate this deficit, a research of the group Youth in transition group of the Institute for Culture and Society (ICS) of the University of Navarra, financed by the Observatorio Social La Caixa, has followed a cohort of Spanish young people between 18 and 22 years of age for four years.

One of the findings is that the impact of the cell phone on well-being depends to a large extent on what it is used for. The data from the study draw six types of users defined by the activities they perform with their device: organizing themselves, studying, monitoring their health, communicating, informing themselves, browsing, consuming porn, gambling, expressing affection, escaping or being entertained.

• Moderates (42%) have no specific task to explain their patron saint consumption patron saint

• The hyperconnected (19%) use their cell phones for almost everything above average.

• The organized (10%) stand out for uses related to time management or lifestyle.

• Socializers (10%) use the device more than the average to establish or maintain social relationships.

• The impetuous (10 %) excel in activities that involve more risk, such as gambling or consuming pornography.

• Escapists (9%) prefer to use it to escape from reality.

Although most of the participants showed symptoms of problematic use, a concept currently under discussion, anxiety levels are particularly high among the hyperconnected, impetuous and escapist. The latter, moreover, show leave self-esteem and happiness, as well as a lower satisfaction index. The organized, on the other hand, show higher levels of self-esteem and happiness and better satisfaction with work, family and leisure.

In addition to adding to the numerous evidence pointing to the fact that screen time was not enough to explain a negative impact on well-being, the study points to the subject of use. And it brings in another core topic: self-control, which is stronger among moderates and particularly weak among the hyperconnected.

These two aspects are relevant in the case of adolescents, an age group that is of particular concern because of their special affinity for mobiles. Their capacity for self-control is still in development, which potentially increases the risk. This can be particularly evident in the more risky uses that are particularly attractive to this age group , such as pornography consumption or gambling.

On the other hand, the variety of possible uses of the cell phone is limited by its lesser vital autonomy. This means that the motivations associated with work are less important than those associated with leisure, entertainment, escape or socialization.

Nor can it be ignored that self-control is linked, in the process of maturity, to knowledge and evaluation of oneself. In this line, a recent study has analyzed how teenagers use filters to modify their image, as well as their relationship with satisfaction with their body, reaching the conclusion that overexposure to idealized images at this age can have negative consequences on their self-esteem and self-acceptance. In fact, there are already initiatives that limit the use of filters in content creators.

The challenges posed by this special coexistence of adolescents with mobile Internet consumption are numerous. It is important to ensure that the family, educational and social context is aware of the nuances in order to avoid both overly restrictive and lax measures. It is also necessary to continue research efforts to provide evidence for decision making.