Psychiatry

Understanding Youth Online Experiences and Mental Health: Development and Validation of the Digital Activity and Feelings Inventory (DAFI)

Ethan Littlefield

25 Jun 2025 — 1 min read

PMCID: PMC12173090

PMID: 40526710

DOI: 10.1002/mpr.70028

Journal: International journal of methods in psychiatric research

Publication Date: 2025-6-17

Authors: Katarzyna K, Jake B, Aja M, Mariya S, Iqra A, et al.

Key Points

Social comparison and negative self-reactions were stronger predictors of mental health outcomes than total screen time
Social engagement and positive digital reactions were associated with improved psychological wellbeing
The DAFI provides a more nuanced assessment of digital activity's mental health impact beyond quantitative screen time measurements

Summary

The Digital Activity and Feelings Inventory (DAFI) represents a novel, comprehensive approach to understanding the psychological impact of digital activities on youth mental health. Developed through expert consultations and youth panel sessions, the instrument goes beyond traditional screen time measurements by capturing nuanced digital experiences and their associated psychological reactions across five digital activity subscales and three psychological reaction subscales.

The study of 383 participants (mean age 19, 75.5% female) revealed that certain digital activities—particularly social comparison and exposure to risky content—independently predicted depression and anxiety symptoms. Critically, the DAFI demonstrated superior predictive validity compared to simple screen time metrics, highlighting the importance of qualitative digital experiences in understanding youth mental health.

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