Texting Between Teens May Not Lead to Healthy Mental Health or Behavior

Texting has previously been linked to an increase in mental health problems in young people, but a new study challenges this idea. It argues that efforts to reduce sexting among young people may not help prevent mental health problems.

Anyone who has been through their teenage years may remember how shapely and sophisticated they were. Adolescence is the time when the body grows from child to adult, and with it come many physical and mental changes. At the same time, the influence of our social relationships – especially with our peers – tends to increase, which also leads to the beginning of romantic and sexual desire.

The rise of the digital age has brought more changes and pressures affecting young people. Smartphones and digital media are now important forums for social contact as well as sexual research. «Sexting» is one such outcome, an umbrella term that covers all forms of sending, receiving and transmitting pornographic messages and images on the Internet. Over time, the prevalence of teenage sexting has increased, although rates have declined in recent years.

Texting is not without its problems, although it is a popular part of the modern world. Sexual images can be shared without permission, their production is forced, and they can combine two existing sexual standards. At the same time, there are concerns that texting may be linked to increased mental health problems among young people. However, previous studies have tended to focus on cross-sectional studies that only reveal a snapshot of the situation at a particular point in time. They do not account for the potential differences between those who send text messages and those who do not.

This is where a new lesson comes in. Norwegian researchers analyzed longitudinal panel data to determine whether high scores of texting were actually associated with symptoms of depression and behavioral problems, and whether poor mental health was associated with changes in sending text messages over time.

The data are taken from MyLife, a longitudinal research project that examines the health and development of young people in Norway. Researchers surveyed a sample of 3,000 young people between the ages of 15 and 19 who participated in at least one of three tests from 2019 to 2021. Using standard questions, the researchers they measured text messages, depressive symptoms, and behavior across each time period.

Sexting was measured with a three-item questionnaire based on the Pennsylvania Youth Risk Behavior Study. Participants were asked about sharing or sending sexual photos or videos, with answers ranging from «never» to «every day or almost every day». Depressive symptoms were measured with a nine-item Patient Health Questionnaire that was modified for youth and included items covering low mood, sleep problems, and low energy. Behavioral problems were measured with questions about theft, bullying and vandalism.

Research has found that the number of young people who send sex messages varies over time, with 30.5 per cent of girls reporting engaging in it for the first time, then a proportion of 36.7 percent in the second, and 33.7 percent in the third. On the other hand, 33.1 percent of boys reported that they had sent a sex message the first time, then 29.9 percent the second time, and the third time of 21.6 percent. At the same time, depressive symptoms appeared to be higher in girls, while behavior problems were higher in boys.

The results were then entered into a random cross-lagged panel model (RI-CLPM).

«This method separates the differences between people (between the effects of a person) from the effects of variability around the normal state of a person (effects within a person)», the researchers explain in their paper.

This means that the team can examine whether changes in one gene predict changes in others over time in the same individual. The results showed no significant within-person effects on depressive symptoms, for either boys or girls.

«High levels of concurrent sexting appear to be unrelated to higher-than-average depression symptoms in the future,» the team wrote.

Interestingly, conduct problems among girls measured at the same time point were associated with increased sexting later, suggesting that conduct problems may lead to increased engagement and send spam, rather than the other way around. For boys, «there was no significant association between conduct problems and sexting.»

«The analysis provides unique insights that may help disentangle the complex relationship between sexting and mental health during adolescence. We found no evidence to support sexting as a cause mental retardation over time,» the team concluded.

However, the study has its limitations. First, the questionnaire failed to differentiate between consensual and non-consensual sexting, which may have multiple effects on mental health that are different from consensual sexting. Another shortcoming involved the fact that parental consent was required before young people could participate. This could have introduced bias in the responses due to the sensitive nature of the survey.

However, the results are interesting.

«Extending previous research on sexting among young people, this longitudinal study suggests that such sexting practices do not predict the development of addiction symptoms. depression or behavioral problems», the team explained. «Although our data show poorer mental health among young people who frequently engage in texting, the results do not show that texting increases depressive symptoms and and problems over time.»

«The bottom line of our findings is that measures to reduce sexting among young people will not help prevent mental health problems.»

Instead of focusing on measures to prevent sexting, they say, more work should be done to educate young people about the importance of sexual consent and protecting someone’s privacy. when they participate in this event.

The paper is published in the Journal of Adolescent Health.