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Impact of Smartphone Addiction on Mental Health. In 2019, a study published in JAMA Psychiatry surveyed 6,595 American teenagers. The study found that compared to those not using social media, those using it for 30 minutes to 3 hours per day increased the risk of internalizing symptoms (including anxiety and depression) by 1.89 times. The risk increased to 2.47 times for 3 to 6 hours of daily usage and 2.83 times for more than 6 hours. The more time spent on social media, the stronger the feelings of anxiety, depression, and loneliness. A study published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, in July 2017, revealed that individuals who frequently check social media within a week were 2.7 times more likely to develop depression than those who checked it the least. Those spending the most time on social media had a 1.7 times higher risk of developing depression than peers spending less time. Researchers surveyed 750 young Canadians aged 16 to 30 and found that those who frequently accessed social media on their smartphones were willing to make various sacrifices to stay on social media. About 40 percent were willing to give up caffeine, alcohol, and video games; 30 percent preferred not exercising, watching TV, or dining at their favorite restaurant for a year; nearly 10 percent would accept infertility or give up a year of life; 5 percent and 3 percent were willing to lose 5 or 10 years of life, respectively; fewer than 5 percent were willing to contract sexually transmitted diseases or life-threatening conditions like cancer; and 10 percent to 15 percent were ready to gain 15 pounds, shave their heads, give up driving, stop traveling, or live without air conditioning rather than quitting social media.