Argentine student digital consumption and mental health

A study by the Ministry of Education of the City of Buenos Aires and the Instituto Tecnológico de Buenos Aires (ITBA) found that secondary school students in Buenos Aires spend an average of 6 hours and 10 minutes daily on smartphones. The research, titled ‘Monitoreo de tiempo de pantalla y salud mental en estudiantes de nivel secundario de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires,’ indicated that 40% of surveyed adolescents showed warning signs regarding socio-emotional well-being, such as anxiety, depression, or daytime sleepiness.

The data revealed that screen time increases with age and varies by gender and socioeconomic status. TikTok was identified as the most used application among the youth.

Following these findings, educational and municipal initiatives have launched awareness campaigns in Argentina to address problematic digital consumption. In Paraná, the ‘Hablemos De’ campaign—a collaboration between the Consejo General de Educación (CGE), the Universidad Autónoma de Entre Ríos (Uader), and the Municipality of Paraná—focuses on raising awareness through dialogue and reflection with students.

Simultaneously, municipal workshops in San Rafael are addressing the impact of excessive screen time on early childhood development, noting links between early technology access and issues such as hyperactivity and low frustration tolerance. These efforts align with the ‘Veo, veo, ¿me ves?’ project, which emphasizes physical play and human interaction as alternatives to digital devices to mitigate developmental consequences.