Study Suggests Smartphones Might Harm Children Under 12
A recent study indicates that smartphones could be detrimental to children under 12. Published in the journal Pediatrics, this research found that early smartphone ownership is linked to a rise in mental health issues and obesity among young adolescents. Specifically, children who had smartphones by age 12 were more likely to experience depression and sleep deprivation compared to their peers without these devices.
Conducted by researchers from Children’s Hospital Philadelphia, University of California at Berkeley, and Columbia University, the findings were derived from analyzing data from over 10,000 adolescents across the United States. This data was collected as part of the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study (ABCD) between 2018 and 2020, which is recognized as the largest long-term investigation of brain development and child health in the country, funded by the National Institutes of Health.
Interestingly, 63.6% of the ABCD participants reported owning a smartphone, with the average age of acquisition being 11. The study highlighted that younger children faced a higher risk of poor sleep and obesity related to smartphone use. The adverse health outcomes seemed to worsen the earlier a child got their first smartphone.
“We didn’t really analyze what kids were doing on their phones,” stated Ran Barzilay, the study’s lead author and a child psychiatrist at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. “We just wanted to see if having a smartphone at this age had any impact on their health.”
Furthermore, the study compared children who received smartphones by age 12 to those who did not. It found that a year later, the kids without smartphones were reporting better mental health. Barzilay clarified that they considered other technology, like tablets, but it didn’t alter the results.
In a follow-up statement, Barzilay advised parents to view smartphone ownership as a significant consideration for their children’s health. Although smartphones can help foster social connections and support learning, he acknowledged that many families feel their necessity for safety reasons.
Looking ahead, the research team plans to delve deeper into specific aspects of smartphone use that may contribute to negative health outcomes. They aim to focus on younger children who get smartphones before age 10 to better understand vulnerabilities and those who might benefit from smartphone usage. Ultimately, Barzilay hopes to determine ways to shield children from the negative effects identified in the study.
Recently, various experts have raised concerns about increased screen time and its effects on children and adolescents. In a 2023 advisory, former U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy suggested creating “tech-free zones” and encouraging kids to maintain in-person friendships. Concurrently, some states have moved toward banning cellphones in schools.
According to the Pew Research Center, 95% of teens aged 13 to 17 owned smartphones in 2024. More than half of parents with children aged 11 to 12 reported their kids also had smartphones. The survey noted that 30% of parents with children aged 8 to 10, 12% of those with kids aged 5 to 7, and 8% of parents with children under 5 indicated that their kids had smartphones.
“It’s likely that nearly all teens will have smartphones eventually,” Barzilay remarked. He advised keeping a watchful eye on what children do with their devices, ensuring they aren’t exposed to inappropriate content and that their sleep isn’t disrupted.
