‘Phones divert teen’s attention from bad thoughts’

Looking at phone for long hours can be harming for the eyes as well as brain but according to a new study it might benefit the teens and help them sleep better. As per Flinders University research, excessive use of mobile devices has a bad rap, but one advantage may be their capacity to provide a distraction and improve teens’ ability to sleep.
Feedback from more than 600 teenagers from age 12 to 18 at South Australian schools between June and September 2019 has led the international research group to point to a more nuanced view on using the wide range of mobile content before young people’s bedtime. “Many teenagers struggle with a racing mind when sleep doesn’t come easy,” said lead corresponding author Dr Serena Bauducco, a visiting postdoctoral researcher from Orebro University, Sweden.
“This study shows that many adolescents use technology to distract themselves from negative thoughts, which may help them manage the sleep-onset process. Thus, distraction may be one mechanism explaining how sleep affects technology use, rather than vice-versa,” the study concludes.