Researchers from the Oxford Internet Institute (OII) are calling for a structured framework to assess AI’s (Artificial Intelligence) impact on young peopleโs mental health as it becomes more and more embedded in everyday life.ย
The research teamโs study stresses the importance of a critical re-evaluation of how internet-based technologies and their impact on youth mental health is studied. The paper outlines where future studies can learn from the โpitfalls of social media research.โ
The lead author, Dr Karen Mansfield, a postdoctoral researcher at OII, said: โResearch on the effects of AI, as well as evidence for policymakers and advice for caregivers, must learn from the issues that have faced social media research. Young people are already adopting new ways of interacting with AI, and without a solid framework for collaboration between stakeholders, evidence-based policy on AI will lag behind, as it did for social mediaโ.
The study cites a 2023 report by UK regulator Ofcom, which found that two out of five children aged 7 to 12 years and four out of five adolescents aged 13 to 17 years, now use generative AI tools and services, overtaking the pace set by social media. This report also revealed that 58% of internet users are concerned about the future impact of generative AI on society.
The researchers stress the risk of repeating past mistakes, explaining that poor youth mental health is often explained by social media as one isolated causal factor, which can be seen as a reductive view of the multitude of ways social media is used and the many contextual factors which influence both technology use and mental health.
In order to avoid similar problems with AI, the researchers have called for studies that donโt inherently problematise AI, and instead prioritise examining pertinent exposures and outcomes as well as employing causal research designs.ย
A contributing author, Professor Andrew Pryzybylski said: โWe are calling for a collaborative evidence-based framework that will hold big tech firms accountable in a proactive, incremental, and informative way. Without building on past lessons, in ten years we could be back to square one, viewing the place of AI in much the same way we feel helpless about social media and smartphones. We have to take active steps now so that AI can be safe and beneficial for children and adolescents.โ