“Sauron was become now a sorcerer of dreadful power, master of shadows and of phantoms, foul in wisdom, cruel in strength, misshaping what he touched, twisting what he ruled, lord of werewolves; his dominion was torment.”
From “The Silmarillion”, by J.R.R. Tolkien, published posthumously by Christopher Tolkien, 1977
I read Tolkien’s “The Silmarillion” in eighth grade, the year after it came out. My dad bought it for me at the book shop in the South Mall in Emmaus, Pennsylvania, where I grew up.
All my friends thought I was crazy, as most of them still do.
My having to use boring, repetitive statistics to prove something that is bald-facedly obvious is something that grade school children studying this subject in the future will marvel about.
And, the fact that I can publish an article entitled “Increasing smartphone use for process purposes from less than one hour per day to five hours or more increases suicide attempts by 116%, or more than doubles them”, and only forty of fifty people out of seven plus billion will read it, will garner even greater wonderment.
But we know that the five stages of grief are denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance.
I believe we’re still firmly in “denial”, give the 50-out-of-7-billion number.
But it’s funny. A majority of the populace thought owning slaves was o.k., until suddenly they didn’t. A majority of the populace thought women shouldn’t be allowed to vote, until, suddenly, it wasn’t that way anymore.
And I have to give thanks to technology not only for my career, but also for the force-multiplier way in which it allows me to do my research, and publish.
I guess it is quite possible for technology to be deployed in such a way where the ether, and the users of that technology, are protected.
Or we may give it up completely, in much the same way we no longer use highly-toxic mercury to make hats. That’s where the term “mad as a hatter” comes from.
Whatever the case, I knew that cell phones were an evil plague the moment I saw them. And I’m not going to rest until they’ve been removed from our lives.
THE DATA
In 2017, suicide attempts were 38% higher among Korean adolescents with high smartphone usage as compared to those with low smartphone usage.
In 2017, depressive symptoms and suicidal thoughts were both 18% higher among Korean adolescents with high smartphone usage than among those with low smartphone usage.
In 2018, Korean adolescents who used their smartphone for process purposes for five hours or more per day made 116% more, or more than twice as many suicide attempts as those who spent less than one hour per day on their smartphones for process purposes.
In 2018, Korean adolescents who spent five hours or more per day on their smartphones made 79% more suicide attempts than those who spent less than one hour per day on their smartphones.
In 2018, Korean adolescents who used their smartphone for process purposes for three to four hours per day had 32% more suicide attempts than those who spent less than one hour per day on their smartphones for process purposes.
In 2018, Korean adolescents who used their smartphone for process purposes for one to two hours per day had 31% more suicide attempts than those who spent less than one hour per day on their smartphones for process purposes.
In 2018, Korean adolescents who spent three to four hours per day on their smartphones had 9% more suicide attempts than those who spent less than one hour per day on their smartphones.
The 79% increase in suicide attempts among Korean adolescents who spent 5 or more hours on their smartphones per day is 154% greater, or half again more than double the 31% increase among those who spent one to two hours per day on their smartphones.
There is a significant and specific relationship between time spent on a smartphone and the prevalence of attempted suicide, independent of other problems associated with smartphone use.
in 2021, past history of suicide was 54.4% higher among Korean adolescents who used their smartphones for four hours or more during the week compared to those who used them for less than two hours.
In 2021, suicidal ideation among Korean adolescents who used their smartphones for four hours or more during the week increased by 29.2% compared to those who used them for less than two hours.
in 2021, suicidal planning among Korean adolescents who used their smartphones for four hours or more during the week increased by 27.75 % compared to those who used them for less than two hours.
In 2021, stress perception among Korean adolescents who used their smartphones for four hours or more during the week increased by 18.3% compared to those who used them for less than two hours.
Thus, in 2021, sleep dissatisfaction among Korean adolescents who used their smartphones for four hours or more during the week increased by 8.5% compared to those who used them for less than two hours.
THE ARTICLES
In July 2019, the journal PLOS One published “Association between high adolescent smartphone use and academic impairment, conflicts with family members or friends, and suicide attempts”.
First author Min-Hyuk Kim said “Adolescents reporting 3–4 h (AOR 1.09; 95% CI 1.06–1.12) and 5 h or more (AOR 1.79; 95% CI 1.74–1.84) of daily smartphone use were significantly more likely to report a suicide attempt over the previous year compared with adolescents reporting less than 1 h of daily use. In adolescents who used a smartphone for process purposes, all levels from 1–2 to 5 h or more of smartphone use were related to suicide attempts (1–2 h, AOR 1.31, 95% CI 1.25–1.32; 3–4 h, AOR 1.32, 95% CI 1.26–1.38; 5 h or more, AOR 2.16, 95% CI 2.07–2.26) compared with less than 1 h.”
In 2018, Korean adolescents who used their smartphone for process purposes for five hours or more per day made 116% more, or more than twice as many suicide attempts as those who spent less than one hour per day on their smartphones for process purposes.
Put another way, increasing smartphone use for process purposes from less than one hour per day to five hours or more increases suicide attempts by 116%, or more than doubles them.
In 2018, Korean adolescents who spent five hours or more per day on their smartphones made 79% more suicide attempts than those who spent less than one hour per day on their smartphones.
In 2018, Korean adolescents who used their smartphone for process purposes for three to four hours per day made 32% more suicide attempts than those who spent less than one hour per day on their smartphones for process purposes.
In 2018, Korean adolescents who used their smartphone for process purposes for one to two hours per day made 31% more suicide attempts than those who spent less than one hour per day on their smartphones for process purposes.
In 2018, Korean adolescents who spent three to four hours per day on their smartphones had 9% more suicide attempts than those who spent less than one hour per day on their smartphones.
The article goes on to say “we confirmed a significant and specific relationship between time spent on a smartphone and the prevalence of attempted suicide, independent of other problems associated with smartphone use, in a nationally representative sample of adolescents in Korea, even when controlling for conflicts with family, conflicts with friends, and poor academic performance. In addition, our findings indicate that high smartphone use for process purposes ultimately turned out to have stronger associations with negative outcomes, whereas moderate smartphone use for social purposes showed some protection against attempted suicide.”
There is a significant and specific relationship between time spent on a smartphone and the prevalence of attempted suicide, independent of other problems associated with smartphone use.
In March 2020, the Korean Journal of Family Medicine published “Association between Smartphone Usage and Mental Health in South Korean Adolescents: The 2017 Korea Youth Risk Behavior Web-Based Survey”.
First author Hyunjeong Kim went on to say "As time duration of smartphone usage increased, the risk of experiencing depressive symptoms, suicidal thoughts, and suicide attempt tended to increase, with odds ratios (95% confidence interval) of 1.18 (1.10–1.26), 1.18 (1.08–1.29), and 1.34 (1.11–1.60), respectively, for high smartphone usage compared with low smartphone usage.
In 2017, depressive symptoms and suicidal thoughts were both 18% higher among Korean adolescents with high smartphone usage than among those with low smartphone usage.
In 2017, suicide attempts were 38% higher among Korean adolescents with high smartphone usage as compared to those with low smartphone usage.
Can you see how first author Hyunjeong Kim put the highest percentage last, to minimize it? That violates a strict journalistic rule where you list the highest number or percentage first, and then the rest in descending order.
In August 2021, the journal Psychology Research and Behavior Management published “Mental Health, Smartphone Use Type, and Screen Time Among Adolescents in South Korea”.
First author Kyng Soo Woo said "Relationship Between Smartphone Screen Time and Mental Health Outcomes, According to the Purpose of Smartphone Use on Weekdays
When using a smartphone for ≥ 4 hours during the week, in the SI group, risk of stress perception (OR, 1.216; 95% CI, 1.135–1.302), sleep dissatisfaction (OR, 1.103; 95% CI, 1.008–1.208), depression (OR, 1.385; 95% CI, 1.275–1.504), suicidal ideation (OR, 1.248; 95% CI, 1.134–1.374), suicide plan (OR, 1.231; 95% CI, 1.027–1.476), past history of suicide (OR, 1.437; 95% CI, 1.146–1.801) increased.
When using a smartphone for ≥ 4 hours during the week, in the NSI group, the risk of stress perception (OR, 1.156; 95% CI, 1.079–1.239), sleep dissatisfaction (OR, 1.141; 95% CI, 1.050–1.240), depression (OR, 1.289; 95% CI, 1.192–1.393), suicidal ideation (OR, 1.315; 95% CI, 1.181–1.465), suicide plan (OR, 1.344; 95% CI, 1.136–1.592), and past history of suicide (OR, 1.547; 95% CI, 1.236–1.937) increased. When smartphones were used for ≥ 2 hours but < 4 hours per day, sleep dissatisfaction (OR, 1.074; 95% CI, 1.005–1.146), depression (OR, 1.113; 95% CI, 1.039–1.194) significantly increased in the NSI group, but no mental health outcomes increased in the SI group (Table 3)."
In 2021, past history of suicide was 54% higher among Korean adolescents in the SI group who used their smartphones for four hours or more during the week compared to those who used them for less than two hours.
In 2021, past history of suicide was 54.7% higher among Korean adolescents in the NSI group who used their smartphones for four hours or more during the week compared to those who used them for less than two hours.
Thus, in 2021, past history of suicide was 54.4% higher among Korean adolescents who used their smartphones for four hours or more during the week compared to those who used them for less than two hours.
In 2021, suicidal ideation among Korean adolescents in the SI group who used their smartphones for four hours or more during the week increased by 24.8% compared to those who used them for less than two hours.
In 2021, suicidal ideation among Korean adolescents in the NSI group who used their smartphones for four hours or more during the week increased by 31.5% compared to those who used them for less than two hours.
Thus, in 2021, suicidal ideation among Korean adolescents who used their smartphones for four hours or more during the week increased by 29.2% compared to those who used them for less than two hours.
In 2021, suicidal planning among Korean adolescents in the SI group who used their smartphones for four hours or more during the week increased by 23.1% compared to those who used them for less than two hours.
In 2021, suicidal planning among Korean adolescents in the NSI group who used their smartphones for four hours or more during the week increased by 34.4% compared to those who used them for less than two hours.
Thus, in 2021, suicidal planning among Korean adolescents who used their smartphones for four hours or more during the week increased by 27.75% compared to those who used them for less than two hours.
In 2021, stress perception among Korean adolescents in the SI group who used their smartphones for four hours or more during the week increased by 21% compared to those who used them for less than two hours.
In 2021, stress perception among Korean adolescents in the NSI group who used their smartphones for four hours or more during the week increased by 15.6% compared to those who used them for less than two hours.
Thus, in 2021, stress perception among Korean adolescents who used their smartphones for four hours or more during the week increased by 18.3% compared to those who used them for less than two hours.
In 2021, sleep dissatisfaction among Korean adolescents in the SI group who used their smartphones for four hours or more during the week increased by 10.3% compared to those who used them for less than two hours.
In 2021, sleep dissatisfaction among Korean adolescents in the NSI group who used their smartphones for four hours or more during the week increased by 7.4% compared to those who used them for less than two hours.
Thus, in 2021, sleep dissatisfaction among Korean adolescents who used their smartphones for four hours or more during the week increased by 8.5% compared to those who used them for less than two hours.
Jeff Miller, Gurnee, IL, August 6, 2022
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