Digital engagement and adolescent wellbeing: insights from the UK millennium cohort study

Existing research on screen time and adolescent psychological wellbeing often overlooks how digital engagement interacts with other daily activities. Uncertainty remains about which activities are complemented or displaced by digital use, and whether specific combinations of activities are beneficial or detrimental to wellbeing. We used detailed time-use diary data from 3,288 participants in the UK Millennium Cohort Study, collected during the age-14 survey. Adolescents recorded their activities in 144 consecutive 10-min slots over a 24‑h period, selecting from 44 pre-specified activity types. Latent profile analysis was used to identify distinct time-use patterns. This approach accounts for the interdependence and trade-offs among different activities, rather than examining each of them in isolation. Associations between these profiles and later psychological wellbeing, measured using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire, were examined using multinomial logistic regression. Three time-use profiles emerged: (i) ‘Frequent digital users’ (21.0%), with high digital engagement, especially gaming, more common among males and those from lower socioeconomic backgrounds, showing poorer psychological wellbeing; (ii) ‘Physically active, moderate digital users’ (59.7%), who balanced digital and non-digital activities with high physical activity, showing more favourable psychological wellbeing; and (iii) ‘In-person socialisers, low digital users’ (19.3%), with low digital use and high face-to-face interaction, showing intermediate level of psychological wellbeing. Findings suggest that a balanced mix of daily activities is associated with more favourable adolescent wellbeing, highlighting the importance of promoting overall activity balance rather than focusing on digital time alone.