Excessive Screen Time Increases Suicidal Thoughts in College Students, Boston University-Led Study Finds
BU-led research found that college students who spend more than three hours online daily are at higher risk than their peers for suicidal thoughts. Photo via iStock/Djavan Rodriguez
Excessive Screen Time Increases Suicidal Thoughts in College Students, Boston University-Led Study Finds
Mental health counseling researcher Seungbin Oh says young cisgender men especially at risk
Editor’s note: This article discusses suicide and may be distressing for some readers. If you or someone you know is impacted by these issues or is considering suicide, a list of resources, including the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, is available at the bottom of the story.
Excessive time spent online and online harassment may be linked to suicidal thoughts among college students. So suggests a new Boston University–led study on screen time and mental well-being.
“We found that both excessive screen time and experiences of online harassment were independently and significantly linked to increased risk of suicidal ideation among college students,” says Seungbin Oh, a BU Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine assistant professor of mental health counseling and behavioral medicine who led the research.
The study focused on US college students—the majority aged 18 to 25—and used data from the Healthy Minds Network, a coalition of researchers that includes BU, the University of California, Los Angeles, the University of Michigan, and Wayne State University. The results were published in the American Journal of Public Health.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, suicide rates among 10- to 24-year-olds leapt 62 percent from 2007 to 2021, making it the second leading cause of death among young people in 2021.
The Brink spoke with Oh about his findings.
Q&A
With Seungbin Oh
The Brink: Which online platforms did you study?
Oh: We’re broadly examining time spent in online spaces—not limited to a specific platform like Instagram or TikTok, but including all nonacademic screen time, such as social media, gaming, and browsing. The survey did not ask about specific platforms, so we could not distinguish between particular apps or services. We also looked at students’ experiences in those spaces, especially whether they had been harassed or harmed online.
Our core research question was: How do screen time and negative online experiences—especially online harassment—relate to suicidal ideation among college students? We hypothesized that both excessive time online and experiences of harassment would independently contribute to higher risk of suicidal thoughts, and that this risk might look different across gender groups.
[We found that] students who spent more than three hours per day online, such as social media, gaming, etc., had about 45 percent higher odds of suicidal thoughts, and those who experienced online harassment had 77 percent higher odds, compared to their peers. Online harassment was linked to higher risk across all gender groups, while time spent online showed the strongest association among cisgender men. For example, men who spent more than three hours online daily had nearly double the odds of reporting suicidal ideation, compared to those with minimal use.
In short, both online hostility and high screen exposure meaningfully contribute to suicide risk—and should be taken seriously in prevention and mental health efforts.
Men who spent more than three hours online daily had nearly double the odds of reporting suicidal ideation, compared to those with minimal use.
The Brink: What prompted your interest in this topic?
Oh: Over the past several years, I’ve become increasingly interested in how digital spaces shape the emotional lives of young people. For many college students today, online platforms are central to identity-building, social connection, and emotional expression. But, at the same time, these spaces can create subtle and cumulative stress through social comparison, exclusion, harassment, or simply digital overload.
Suicide is one of the leading causes of death among young adults, and yet we’re only beginning to understand how newer forms of social disconnection—like online hostility or chronic screen exposure—might contribute to that risk. This project was an effort to examine those links more closely.
The Brink: What methodology did you use in this project? Which schools’ students were part of the study?
Oh: We analyzed nationally representative data from the Healthy Minds Study, 2023–2024, an annual, web-based survey that examines college student mental health, service utilization, and related issues across US campuses. The dataset was de-identified, and our analyses did not identify or compare individual schools.
The Brink: To what therapeutic uses do you hope clinicians put the findings of your project?
Oh: We hope the findings will encourage mental health professionals, especially those working with college students, to routinely consider digital life as part of mental health assessment. Questions like “How much time are you spending online?” or “Have you had distressing experiences online lately?” could become simple but meaningful additions to intake conversations.
We also think this research can inform digital wellness initiatives on campuses, helping students better understand how their online habits might affect their mood, sleep, and sense of belonging. Notably, while online harassment was associated with elevated suicide risk across all gender groups, the link between time spent online and suicidal thoughts was strongest among cisgender men. Creating spaces where young men can talk openly about these experiences—and seek support without stigma—feels especially important.
This interview was edited for length and clarity. The study was coauthored by researchers from Seoul National University Hospital, McMaster University, and Wayne State University.
BU students seeking support can reach out to Student Health Services, which also offers a 24/7 on-call service for mental health emergencies at 617-353-3569; faculty, staff, and employee family members can contact BU’s Faculty & Staff Assistance Office for help with work and life challenges. The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline has resources to support yourself and help others, as well as a chat service to talk with crisis counselors 24/7.
