Abstract
OBJECTIVES: Excessive time spent online is believed to negatively impact youth mental health; however, simplified screen-time measures fail to consider young people's agency and digital activity management skills. We developed and validated a novel tool, the Digital Insight and Agency Scale (DIAS), to better understand different aspects of young people's online agency and explore their links to youth mental health. METHODS: Participants (n = 383; age 16-25 years, mean = 19.0, SD = 1.7; 48.8% White, 30.2% South/East Asian, 8.6% Black) completed the DIAS questionnaire and standardised measures of anxiety, depression and wellbeing. The factor structure, reliability of the DIAS and associations with mental health were examined. RESULTS: Participants reported specific negative impacts of digital engagement on their daily functioning in the previous 2 weeks, especially less sleep. Seventy-eight per cent were worried about the negative impact of digital activity, and 82% engaged in one or more risk management actions, including Enhancing Positive Engagement, Coping Actions, and/or Reducing Engagement. Higher levels of mental health problems were associated with more worries and increased efforts to manage digital activity. CONCLUSIONS: Most young people displayed agency in managing their digital activity, suggesting that this could be leveraged in interventions, rather than focusing solely on reducing access and time spent online.