VIENNA - On 19 January, Prof. Dr. Tobias Dienlin, PROMISE Project Lead, presented the main findings from the Mental Health Days Study 2025, based on data from 8,177 young participants. The study examined changes in smartphone use and well-being indicators following recent policy developments in Austria, specifically the recently implemented nationwide smartphone ban in schools.
Key Findings
The 2025 data suggest several notable trends (N = 8.177):
- Smartphone use decreased by approximately 30 minutes per day compared to 2024
- Life satisfaction increased, from 5.36 to 5.52
- Reported depression decreased, from 15% to 12%
In addition, multiple regression analyses, controlling for a range of socioeconomic factors (including age, gender, national background, family structure, pocket money, and siblings), showed that both smartphone use and social networking site use significantly predicted well-being outcomes. These associations were statistically meaningful and non-trivial in size.
The observed associations between media use and well-being were stronger for certain groups, including:
- Female participants
- Younger users
- Participants with less access to financial resources ("pocket money")
- Participants with Austrian nationality
These findings highlight the importance of social and demographic contexts when assessing digital media use and well-being. The researchers emphasized that these findings should be interpreted with caution, and that they do not constitute proof of causal effects of social media use or smartphone policies on mental health. However, they do provide supportive evidence that digital media use and policy environments are meaningfully associated with young people’s well-being.
These findings contribute to ongoing discussions within PROMISE and beyond about how digital policies, everyday media practices, and social contexts intersect to shape youth well-being.
Slides from the presentation can be found here.
For more information about the Mental Health days project, please click here.