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the claim
Smartphone use causes mental illness in adolescents.
the verdict
INSUFFICIENT LEANING
Recorded sources
9 sources for · 0 against
Is it true that smartphone use causes mental illness in adolescents?
Unclear. The retrieved items consistently report associations or partial causal evidence linking adolescent smartphone or screen use to poorer mental health, but they are cross-sectional, subpopulation-specific, or framed as contributing factors rather than establishing that smartphone use causes mental illness in adolescents generally.
Verdict: PARTIAL LEAN · 9 sources for, 0 against · Last checked
Evidence for · 9
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Problematic smartphone use. (n.d.). en.wikipedia.org. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Problematic_smartphone_use
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More for · 8
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Shang-Yu, Y., Chung-Ying, L., Yueh-Chu, H., & Jer-Hao, C. (2018). Gender Differences in the Association of Smartphone Use with the Vitality and Mental Health of Adolescent Students. eric.ed.gov. https://doi.org/10.1080/07448481.2018.1454930
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Rudolf, R. & Kim, N. (2024). Smartphone use, gender, and adolescent mental health: Longitudinal evidence from South Korea. doi.org. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssmph.2024.101722
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qizi, Y. S. I. & qizi, A. M. S. (2026). WHY DO STUDENTS FEEL TIRED EVEN AFTER SLEEPING? PSYCHOLOGICAL CAUSES OF MENTAL FATIGUE IN ADOLESCENTS. zenodo.org. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.20330145
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Smartphones, social media use and youth mental health - PMC Lock. (n.d.). pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. https://doi.org/10.1503/cmaj.190434
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Burgess, K. (2025). The Decline in Adolescents’ Mental Health with the Rise of Social Media: A Narrative Review. doi.org. https://doi.org/10.1177/10784535251328925
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Derevensky, J. L., Hayman, V., & Gilbeau, L. (2019). Behavioral Addictions: Excessive Gambling, Gaming, Internet, and Smartphone Use Among Children and Adolescents.. doi.org. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pcl.2019.08.008
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Jang, W., Hong, M., Cheong, H., & Oh, I. (2026). Excessive smartphone use among multicultural adolescents in South Korea: Vulnerable groups and associated risk factors.. doi.org. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actpsy.2025.106172
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N, S. & RM, V. (2019). Effects of screentime on the health and well-being of children and adolescents: a systematic review of reviews.. doi.org. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2018-023191
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