A pioneering study by the University of South Florida (USF) aims to track the long-term impacts of digital media on youth wellbeing, following participants from early adolescence through 2050. This research will provide critical insights into how smartphones, social media, and other digital platforms affect individuals as they transition from childhood to adulthood.
The study, titled the Life in Media Survey, will gather data from thousands of 11 to 13-year-olds every six months, offering ongoing insights for parents, educators, researchers, and healthcare providers about the effects of digital media use on children and their development into adulthood.
Justin Martin, lead researcher and the Eleanor Poynter Jamison Chair in Media Ethics & Press Policy at USF St. Petersburg, emphasized the necessity of this research: “While we have long-term studies in other fields, such as cardiovascular health, we lack similar research focused on digital media and wellness. Given the significant impact digital media has on children, it is essential to study these individuals over their lifespan.”
The survey will cover a wide range of topics, including social media use, addiction, cyberbullying, news consumption, streaming habits, parental controls, media literacy, and the influence of artificial intelligence. By examining these factors over time, researchers hope to uncover connections between digital media usage and critical wellness indicators such as sleep quality, anxiety, and depression.
Chighaf Bakour, an associate professor of epidemiology at USF, noted, “Childhood and adolescent experiences can significantly influence health outcomes later in life. This study will help us understand how digital media impacts sleep and mental health in young people, ultimately guiding interventions to mitigate potential harms.”
Unlike previous research that primarily focused on smartphone and social media use, the USF study will also consider binge-watching, podcast listening, and music streaming, providing a more comprehensive view of digital habits. Martin mentioned that earlier studies, including one he co-authored, found binge-watching can correlate with increased in-person social interactions, challenging the notion that it leads to social isolation.
The study will begin with a survey of approximately 1,500 youth in Florida this November to establish baseline data. The Harris Poll, in collaboration with USF, will collect the data after obtaining parental consent for children to participate in the online survey. Results from this initial cohort will be published in a report in spring 2025.
Following this pilot, the research team plans to expand the study nationally, surveying up to 9,000 early adolescents biannually—once during the school year and once in the summer. Stephen Song, an assistant professor in the Department of Journalism & Digital Communication at USF, explained the significance of targeting the 11 to 13 age range, as this is typically when children begin to use smartphones and engage more deeply with digital media.
While past studies have provided snapshots of how digital media affects youth, this long-term approach will allow researchers to identify patterns and trends over time. Wendy Rote, a psychology professor at USF, highlighted the complexity of understanding these relationships: “If children who spend more time on social media show higher rates of depression, we need to explore whether this is due to the media itself or whether it limits their participation in other social activities.”
The research team consists of experts from diverse fields, including journalism, psychology, public health, political science, sociology, and communications. USF is also partnering with the Poynter Institute for Media Studies and its MediaWise initiative, which focuses on enhancing media literacy skills among young people. Sean Marcus, an interactive learning designer for MediaWise, collaborated with the research team to ensure the survey questions are relevant and accessible to the target audience.
With the Life in Media Survey set to be conducted twice a year over several decades, the study promises to yield extensive insights into the evolving relationship between youth and digital media. Marcus noted, “As media and media literacy evolve rapidly, this study will help us keep pace. We are in the midst of a technological revolution, and this research will provide a framework for understanding how young people navigate their lives with technology and how these changes affect them.”
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