Katrine Bønneland Tølbøll

How much screen time is too much? This question has dominated much of the public and scientific debate about digital media use and adolescent mental health. Yet the amount of time spent online tells us little about what adolescents do online, why they use digital media, or whether their use has become difficult to control. This dissertation examines the relationship between digital media use and adolescent mental health and well-being through six articles combining reviews of existing research, empirical studies, and theoretical and methodological contributions. The findings suggest that associations between general digital media use and adolescents’ well-being are typically small, mixed, and context dependent. In contrast, problematic media use, characterised by difficulties controlling use, is more consistently associated with poorer mental health and well-being. Building on these findings, the dissertation explores different forms of digital engagement, the social experiences that shape online behaviour, and the processes through which difficulties regulating use may emerge and develop over time. It further examines methodological challenges associated with studying adolescents’ digital media use and experiences. Overall, the dissertation highlights the importance of distinguishing between extensive and problematic media use. Rather than focusing primarily on the amount of time adolescents spend online, it calls for greater attention to the behaviours, experiences, and self-regulatory mechanisms that may help explain when and why digital media use becomes difficult to control.

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