Excessive Screen Time Boosts Suicide Ideation in College Students Study Finds

Heavy Screen Use Tied to Greater Suicide Risk in University Populations

Editor’s note: This article discusses suicide and may be distressing for some readers. If you or someone you know is impacted by these issues or is considering suicide, a list of resources, including the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, is available at the bottom of the story.

Researchers analyzing data from the Healthy Minds Network—a collaboration that includes Boston University, UCLA, the University of Michigan and Wayne State University—found that college students who spend large amounts of time on digital devices are more likely to report thoughts of suicide. The same pattern emerged for students who reported experiences of online harassment, indicating that both factors independently raise the odds of suicidal ideation.

“We found that both excessive screen time and experiences of online harassment were independently and significantly linked to increased risk of suicidal ideation among college students,” explained Seungbin Oh, an assistant professor of mental health counseling and behavioral medicine at Boston University’s Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine and the study’s lead author.

National data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reveal that suicide rates among individuals aged 10 to 24 surged 62 % between 2007 and 2021, positioning suicide as the second leading cause of death for young people in 2021.