The health risks posed to children and young adults by digital technologies cannot be understated, according to Dr Nicole Gross, an associate professor at the National College of Ireland who contributed to a major new series published in The Lancet. Examining the structural digital determinants of health, the series highlights how modern digital environments generate significant public health challenges alongside technological benefits.
Digital Environments Shape Health Outcomes Across Age Groups
- Digital Determinants of Health: Digital environments and technologies function as structural factors that actively shape long-term physical and mental health outcomes.
- Age-Dependent Risk Profiles: Clinical and systematic review data show that younger populations face higher ratios of adverse health findings from digital exposure, ranging from sleep disruption to mental distress.
- Precautionary Public Health Action: Governing bodies and researchers argue that public health frameworks must intervene proactively rather than wait for exhaustive longitudinal data before setting standards for digital platform design.
The Lancet Series and the Scale of Digital Health Risks
Published in a special series by The Lancet, the international research effort evaluates how digital technologies and online environments are structured. Dr Nicole Gross, associate professor in business and society at the National College of Ireland, serves among the contributing authors, collaborating with an international panel of scholars and a youth advisory group consisting of six young adults. The study frames digitalisation as a mega-trend demanding structured public health oversight.
According to an editorial released alongside the research series, findings from 121 systematic reviews covering nearly 9 million young people demonstrate that adverse health associations outnumber beneficial ones. Specifically, 71 percent of findings for children aged zero to 10 years and 80 percent for adolescents aged 10 to 24 years documented negative outcomes. These associations include poorer mental health and wellbeing, negative conduct, loneliness, diminished quality of life, sleep problems, reduced physical activity, obesity, self-harm, and suicidal ideation.
| Age Cohort | Systemic Review Coverage | Proportion of Adverse Findings | Key Documented Health Impacts |
|---|---|---|---|
| Children (Aged 0–10) | Subset of 121 Systematic Reviews | 71 percent | Behavioral changes, sleep disruption, early developmental impacts |
| Adolescents (Aged 10–24) | Subset of 121 Systematic Reviews | 80 percent | Depressive symptoms, loneliness, self-harm, reduced physical activity, obesity |
Structural Determinants and the Call for Governance
Dr Gross, who serves as program director for the National College of Ireland’s MSc in International Business and was nominated for a 2025 Media Literacy Award for her work educating community partners on safely engaging with artificial intelligence health apps, emphasized the clarity of the evidence. “Digitalisation is a mega-trend and there is compelling evidence our health is not just affected but increasingly determined by digital technologies,” Dr Gross stated. She noted that the mental and physical health impacts on children and young adults demand immediate attention.
The Lancet editorial notes that risks vary according to developmental stage, content consumed, context and pattern of engagement, individual circumstances, and platform design. The analysis points out that older populations face distinct digital vulnerabilities, including heightened exposure to misinformation, online fraud, and digital exclusion. Editors of the journal argue that governing digital technologies in their duality and mutability represents a defining public health challenge of the twenty-first century, requiring a framework that treats digital systems as structural determinants of health.
References
- The Lancet. Series on Digital Determinants of Health.
