A Starting Point
In a separate news release, Kevin McConway, PhD, MBA, emeritus professor of applied statistics, The Open University, Milton Keynes, England, noted that there has been “endless debate and considerable speculation on the possible effects of internet use on well-being, in general across all ages, but more specifically in relation to children and young people.”
The current study “certainly extends the available information beyond simple speculation and beyond previous studies that used participants mostly in relatively rich Northern countries,” noted Dr. McConway, who was not involved in the study.
However, he cautioned, the study is only “a starting point, and if nothing else, it casts very serious doubt on the view, held by some people, that the internet is bad for us all.”
In particular, the observational nature of the study meant that the positive associations between internet use and measure of well-being could have been caused by other factors and are not causative.
“It’s important to understand that none of the well-being measures used in this research has been properly validated by experts in psychological measurement,” said Dr. McConway.
No source of study funding was listed. Dr. Przybylski’s research is supported by the Huo Family Foundation and the Economic and Social Research Council. In the preceding 5 years, Dr. Przybylski has worked on research grants provided by the John Fell Fund, The Diana Award, and the children’s charity Barnardo’s. These research grants were paid to Dr. Przybylski’s employer, the Oxford Internet Institute. During this period, Dr. Przybylski has engaged unpaid consultations with several organizations including UNICEF, the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, Meta Inc., UKIE, UK Research and Innovation, The UK’s DCMS, The Office of the UK’s Chief Medical Officer, the Office of the US Surgeon General, The UK’s Academy of Medical Sciences, and the UK Parliament. There were no financial products or benefits resulting from these consultations. Dr. Vuorre reported no relevant financial relationships. Neither author reported any conflicts of interest. Dr. McConway is a trustee of the Science Media Center. However, his remarks are in the capacity of an independent professional statistician.
A version of this article appeared on Medscape.com.