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- Kids with smartphones by age 12 face higher risks of depression, obesity and insufficient sleep, researchers found
- The study analyzed data from over 10,500 participants in the largest U.S. child brain development study
- Experts suggest families weigh risks and benefits, emphasizing monitoring kids’ smartphone use and its impact on wellbeing
Children who are given smartphones before the age of 12 are more likely to develop certain health problems, researchers report.
According to a piece published by the journal Pediatrics on Monday, Dec. 1, kids studied at age 12 were at a 1.3 times higher risk of depression, a 1.6 times higher risk of insufficient sleep and a 1.4 times higher risk of obesity, compared with children who didn’t yet have smartphones.
Researchers at Children’s Hospital Philadelphia, the University of California at Berkeley, and Columbia University analyzed data from over 10,500 participants from childhood to adolescence from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study to come to the conclusion, per the findings published on the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) website.
The ABCD study “is the largest long-term study of brain development and child health in the United States,” per the study’s website.
Dr. Ran Barzilay, lead author of the Pediatrics journal study and child-adolescent psychiatrist at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, explained that just over 60% of kids studied had their own smartphone by age 12, adding that the median age of getting a smartphone was 11 years old.
He tells PEOPLE of the study, “We only analyzed the data collected when the kids were ages 12-13, collected between 2018-2021.”
“Given concerns regarding health implications of adolescent smartphone use, we tested associations of smartphone ownership and age of smartphone acquisition with depression, obesity, and insufficient sleep in early adolescence,” the study’s objectives stated on the Pediatrics website. “We hypothesized that smartphone ownership, especially at a younger age, would be associated with worse health outcomes.”
“While there is no magic age at which smartphone acquisition is recommended, our study does suggest that, on average, at least by the age of 12, having a smartphone is associated with worse health outcomes,” Dr. Barzilay tells PEOPLE.
He adds, “Each family can consider the potential risks and benefits based on their needs and individual circumstances. More important in my view is that once the smartphone is given to the child, it is important to frequently check in with the child to see how this may affect their lifestyle and wellbeing,” questioning, “Do they still get enough sleep and have enough time to exercise and play outside of screens?”
When asked about his motivation behind the study, Dr. Barzilay says, “There are several experts that recommend postponing smartphone acquisition but till now, there is very little data to support this recommendation.”
“In medicine, we aim to take decisions that are ‘evidence based,’ so our study provides important evidence to guide parents and policy makers in taking informed decisions that affect kids’ health in the digital era,” he continues.
In a video published on the Pediatrics website, Dr. Barzilay pointed out that 95% of teenagers between the ages of 13 and 17 owned a smartphone in the U.S. in 2024, citing the Pew Research Center. The survey found that nearly a third of kids between 8 and 10 years old owned smartphones, while more than half of the kids surveyed between the ages of 11 and 12 had them.
12% of parents with children between 5 and 7 years old said their kids had smartphones, while 8% of parents with children younger than 5 years old said their kids had them.
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The latest findings come after NYU social psychologist Jonathan Haidt wrote about how smartphones are hurting kids’ mental health in his 2024 book The Anxious Generation, PEOPLE previously reported.
“We’ve never seen anything like this. There’s massive evidence of harm,” Haidt insisted of the sharp increase in anxiety and depressive disorders. “It happened in many countries at the same time, at a specific point in time: the moment when teens traded their flip phones for smartphones. It’s as if you had a murder, and all eyewitnesses point to this suspect. There is no other explanation.”
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