The Impact of Digital Technology Use on the Mental and Physical Health

Dear Colleagues,

Much of the current discourse on digital technology use has focused on its impact on mental health, particularly amongst children and adolescents. There is a limited amount of research on the associations of digital technology use on physical health and amongst people of different ages. Additionally, studies that focus on children and adolescents have assumed a one-way association or that digital technology use occurs in a ‘vacuum’ and have not included the mental or physical influence of parents, siblings, peers or others on the relationship between digital technology and health.

The mechanisms through which digital technology use may impact mental or physical health, and vice versa, is also understudied. Again, most research has focused on younger age groups and has not explored whether these mechanisms occur in older or other socio-demographic groups.

This Special Issue aims to publish original studies and reviews that examine these relationships and explore the potential mediating and moderating factors that influence them. We hope to expand the current evidence on the whether and how digital technology use impacts mental or physical health to inform policies, interventions and current and future digital technology users.

In this Special Issue, original research articles and reviews are welcome. The research areas may include (but are not limited to) the following:

• Systematic reviews and meta analyses of studies on digital technology use and mental or physical health;
• Cross-national comparative studies;
• Longitudinal studies;
• Cross-sectional and longitudinal studies exploring the relationship between digital technology use and mental or physical health.

I look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Cara Booker
Guest Editor

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• digital technologies
• mental health
• psychological wellbeing
• physical health
• socio-demographic differences
• social determinants of health
• social inequalities
• comparative studies
• life course