Research Review of Orben, Przybylski & Blakemore (2022)
Study in Plain English
Who & What: Examined 84,000 UK participants (ages 10–80), linking social media use with life satisfaction.
Method: Cross-sectional and longitudinal data from Understanding Society (UK Household Longitudinal Study).
Key Findings:
Social media affects wellbeing differently depending on age.
Girls: most sensitive at 11–13 and 19.
Boys: most sensitive at 14–15 and 19.
Outside these ages, effects are weaker.
Why It Matters: Negative effects aren’t uniform; they cluster around key developmental transitions.
Little Dopes Commentary
Practical Meaning: If your child is entering one of these sensitive ages, expect greater mood swings tied to online use. This is the time to tighten sleep routines, keep devices out of bedrooms, and check in on emotions after scrolling.
Broader Context:
Pew (2022): Nearly half of teens are “almost constantly” online → high exposure during these critical windows.
US Surgeon General (2023): Warns of depression, anxiety, and sleep disruption from social media use.
AAP Policy (2016/2022): Encourages personalised media plans — not one-size-fits-all rules — which aligns with the findings here.
Limitations: Self-reported use (which can be inaccurate), correlation not causation, UK-specific sample. Still, the size of the study makes it influential.
References
Orben, A., Przybylski, A. K., & Blakemore, S.-J. (2022). Windows of developmental sensitivity to social media. Nature Communications, 13(1), 1649. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-022-29296-3
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Surgeon General. (2023). Social Media and Youth Mental Health: The U.S. Surgeon General’s Advisory. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. https://www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/sg-youth-mental-health-social-media-advisory.pdf
Pew Research Center. (2022). Teens, Social Media and Technology 2022. Washington, DC: Pew Research Center. https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2022/08/10/teens-social-media-and-technology-2022/
American Academy of Pediatrics. (2016, reaffirmed 2022). Media Use in School-Aged Children and Adolescents. Pediatrics, 138(5), e20162592. https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2016-2592
