Study Finds 3-Plus Online Hours Nearly Double College Men's Suicidal Thoughts
Updated
Updated · Earth.com · Jul 20
Study Finds 3-Plus Online Hours Nearly Double College Men's Suicidal Thoughts
2 articles · Updated · Earth.com · Jul 20
Summary
More than 46,000 U.S. college students surveyed in 2023-24 showed cisgender men spending over three hours online daily had nearly double the odds of suicidal thoughts.
Online harassment emerged as a separate risk factor, raising odds by 77% across men, women, and transgender or gender-nonconforming students even after adjusting for depression, sleep problems, and financial stress.
The findings suggest hours online alone can miss the main danger, because the survey tied being targeted in digital spaces more closely to suicidal thoughts than screen time itself.
Boston University researcher Seungbin Oh said campus clinicians should routinely ask about students' online time and negative digital experiences, with young men needing particular attention because they seek help less often.
The study lands amid a broader youth mental-health crisis: U.S. suicide rates for ages 10 to 24 rose 62% from 2007 to 2021, making suicide the second-leading cause of death in that group.
Why are young men now the group most at-risk from excessive online time, reversing previously understood trends?
If online worlds fuel a mental health crisis, can digital therapy apps truly be the cure for college students?
Is rising student despair a crisis of technology, or a societal failure to teach digital self-regulation skills?
Online Use and Suicide Risk Among Youth: New Data, Gender Disparities, and Global Policy Responses (2026)
Overview
This report explores how digital platforms, now central to young people's daily lives, are shaping mental health and increasing suicide risk among college students. A recent Boston University-led study highlights that while online spaces help students form identities and connect socially, they also introduce stressors like social comparison, exclusion, and harassment. These cumulative pressures can undermine well-being and contribute to depression and suicidality. The research focuses on how newer forms of online disconnection, such as hostility and chronic screen exposure, may further elevate suicide risk, emphasizing the urgent need for targeted prevention and support strategies.