For one, they distinguish within-person and between-person relations. Therefore, our first research question asked about the effects of media use on well-being over a broad range of traditional media.ĭominated for a long time by cross-sectional work, recent longitudinal studies have begun adding nuance to the analysis of net screen time effects 15, 18. That comparison is important because societal discourse often takes a form of technological determinism 12 for granted: People are helpless in the face of social media and attention demanding notifications, but benefit from traditional media, such as reading books 1. Consequently, we cannot compare net effects of social media to those of traditional media. An investigation of this broad effect is lacking for more traditional media. However, it must build upon a robust understanding of broad, net effects. For example, users might compare themselves to others on social media depending on their motivation, that comparison can make them feel better or worse 17.
They have come to understand that the motivation of users is just as important as the content they engage with 3, 5, 14, 16. Subsequently, researchers have studied new media with increasing nuance. In the case of new media, this general level is represented by screen time 10, 14, 15.
When asking about the effect of using a medium on well-being, we typically begin on the most general level to study the ‘net’ effect of a behavior 11.
Media effects can occur on different levels 13. It also fails to deliver actionable evidence to policymakers who need to decide whether to encourage or discourage media use 11, 12. Highlighting the alleged benefits of traditional media without a comparative evidence base of their effects on well-being runs the risk of perpetuating an elitist view of media use 1. The literature reflects that discourse most work investigates effects of newer media 8, 9, 10. Additionally, this discourse places high value on ‘traditional’ media like books, but considers ‘newer’ media, such as social networking sites, of low value 1. That narrative is ambivalent: Technology use is considered an enjoyable pastime and simultaneously harmful. The lockdown during the COVID-19 pandemic reignited that narrative of overreliance on technology, because people were using media much more than previously 6, 7. For example, there is a lively debate on the harmful effects of digital devices (e.g., smartphones) or new media (e.g., social networking sites) 2, 3, 4, 5. Does media use have observable effects on well-being? Historically, the public and scholars have been skeptical of new media and technologies 1.
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