Phone use link to teen angst ‘not yet proven’

A leading expert in adolescent psychology has said there is no scientific evidence to show excess use of smartphones and other gadgets is damaging to teenagers’ mental health.

Sarah-Jayne Blakemore, professor of cognitive neuroscience at University College London, said while there appeared to be an increase in mental-health problems among teenagers, no cause had been established.

“There is no scientific evidence about how screen time affects the developing brain,” she told RTÉ’s Sean O’Rourke.