There is a growing concern among parents about the age at which children should be given smartphones, as new research indicates potential negative effects on their mental and physical health.
A study involving over 10,000 children has revealed that those who received a smartphone before turning 13 tended to show increased signs of depression, obesity, and sleep deprivation during their early teenage years.
The findings, published by the American Academy of Pediatrics, are based on data from 10,588 participants in the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study, conducted across 21 locations in the United States.
Researchers gathered information from caregivers about the age at which their children first received a smartphone and then monitored their health outcomes at ages 12 and 13.
Alarmingly, 12-year-olds who already had a smartphone were much more likely to suffer from depression, be overweight, and have insufficient sleep compared to those without smartphones. The study also noted that the younger the child at the time of obtaining their first smartphone, the greater the associated risks, particularly concerning obesity and inadequate sleep.
The researchers also followed children who did not have smartphones at 12 but acquired one by 13.
The study’s authors stated: “At age 13 years, among 3,486 youth who did not own a smartphone at age 12 years, those who had acquired a smartphone in the past year had greater odds of reporting clinical-level psychopathology and insufficient sleep compared with those who had not after controlling for baseline mental health and sleep.”
Put simply, obtaining a smartphone even a year earlier had a significant impact.
Ran Barzilay, the lead author and a professor of psychiatry and child-adolescent psychiatrist at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, emphasized the importance of addressing the issue.
“This is not something you can ignore for sure,” he told The Washington Post.
This research emerges as Australia recently became the first country to prohibit social media platforms, such as TikTok and Instagram, for those under 16, requiring tech companies to enforce access restrictions from this month onward.
Other countries, including Malaysia, are reportedly contemplating similar actions, while several US states already mandate parental consent for younger adolescents to create social media accounts.
The study concluded: “Smartphone ownership was associated with depression, obesity, and insufficient sleep in early adolescence.
“Findings provide critical and timely insights that should inform caregivers regarding adolescent smartphone use and, ideally, the development of public policy that protects youth.”
If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available through Mental Health America. Call or text 988 to reach a 24-hour crisis center or you can webchat at 988lifeline.org. You can also reach the Crisis Text Line by texting MHA to 741741.