Intensity of mobile phone use and health compromising behaviours-how is information and communication technology connected to health-related lifestyle in adolescence?
Leena K, Tomi L, Arja RR. · 2005
View Original AbstractHeavy mobile phone use among teens correlates with smoking, drinking, and other risky behaviors, suggesting device dependency may signal broader unhealthy lifestyle patterns.
Plain English Summary
Finnish researchers surveyed 3,485 teenagers to examine whether heavy mobile phone use was linked to risky behaviors like smoking, drinking, and using tobacco products. They found that teens who used phones for at least one hour daily were significantly more likely to engage in these health-damaging behaviors. This suggests that intensive phone use may be part of a broader pattern of risky lifestyle choices among adolescents.
Why This Matters
This 2005 study reveals an important connection that extends beyond direct biological effects of EMF exposure. The research demonstrates that intensive mobile phone use among teenagers correlates with a cluster of health-compromising behaviors, suggesting that heavy device use may signal broader lifestyle patterns that put young people at risk. What makes this finding particularly relevant is that it emerged when mobile phone adoption was just reaching widespread levels - 89% of teens used phones, but only 13% were heavy users spending over an hour daily.
The reality is that today's teenagers far exceed these 2005 usage levels, with many spending 4-7 hours daily on their devices. If intensive phone use was already clustering with risky behaviors when usage was relatively modest, we should be asking what this means for today's generation of digital natives. This research suggests we need to consider not just the direct biological effects of EMF exposure, but also how device dependency shapes the broader health behaviors and lifestyle choices of young people.
Exposure Information
Specific exposure levels were not quantified in this study. Duration: At least 1h daily
Study Details
The association of mobile phone use with health compromising behaviours (smoking, snuffing, alcohol) was studied in a survey comprising a representative sample of 14-16-year-olds (N=3485) in 2001.
Mobile phone was used by 89% of respondents and by 13% for at least 1h daily.
The intensity of use was positively associated with health compromising behaviours. The associations...
This study concludes that, at least in the present developmental level of communication technologies, intensive mobile phone use seems to be part of the same health-related lifestyle as health compromising behaviours.
Show BibTeX
@article{k_2005_intensity_of_mobile_phone_2348,
author = {Leena K and Tomi L and Arja RR.},
title = {Intensity of mobile phone use and health compromising behaviours-how is information and communication technology connected to health-related lifestyle in adolescence?},
year = {2005},
url = {https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15683633/},
}