Oxford: Children addicted to smartphones, iPads and video games are more likely to suffer from psychosis later in life, a study has found.
Psychosis is a mental condition in which a person’s connection with reality is broken and it is difficult to recognize reality.
In the study, scientists found that smartphone and social media use during childhood was associated with paranoia (the belief that everyone is out to harm you), delusions, and paranoia by age 23. Belongs to poor thoughts.
But according to the researchers, technology itself is not the problem. Children’s addiction to devices can be a warning sign that they are easy targets for mental illness.
In research published in JAMA Psychiatry, the Canadian team said that high social media use and mental health problems share factors such as parental mental health problems, loneliness, bullying and problems between parents and children.
The study also warned that forcing children with addiction to reduce their screen time could do more harm than good.
In the study, scientists studied social media habits and psychotic experiences among 2,120 Canadian children born between 1997 and 1988.
The study found that those who drastically reduced their computer use still had more frequent psychotic experiences later in life.
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