New Study Says Kids Who Get Phones Before This 1 Particular Age Are More Likely To Develop Concerning Health Risks

"The recent study, published in the journal Pediatrics, examined data from more than 10,500 children to determine how the age of smartphone acquisition was associated with health outcomes at age 12. The researchers found that children who had a smartphone by age 12 had a higher risk of depression, obesity and poor sleep than those who did not yet have one. The health risks of obesity and sleep problems were worse for children whose parents gave them a phone sooner than 12."

""For me, this paper and the findings do support delaying [giving the kid a smartphone] a little bit until older than 12," said Dr. Ran Barzilay, lead author of the study, a child and adolescent psychiatrist at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and assistant professor of psychiatry at the University of Pennsylvania. Barzilay noted that his findings are broadly on a "population level." However, there can, of course, be individual safety reasons why a child younger than 12 might benefit from a phone."

"Catherine Pearlman, a licensed clinical social worker and author of "First Phone: A Child's Guide to Digital Responsibility, Safety, and Etiquette," said the study's findings are a "great start," but there can be nuanced reasons that children 12 and under might benefit from having a phone. "There are some divorced families, there are kids with diabetes, there are kids that are very socially awkward, and all their friends are having a phone, and it's really the only way they can connect," Pearlman cited as examples."

Data from more than 10,500 children were examined to assess associations between age of smartphone acquisition and health outcomes at age 12. Children who had a smartphone by age 12 showed higher rates of depression, obesity, and poor sleep compared with peers without smartphones at that age. Risks for obesity and sleep problems increased when parents provided a phone earlier than age 12. Population-level results support delaying smartphone ownership beyond age 12, while recognizing that individual safety, medical, or social circumstances can justify earlier access and that supervision and usage patterns matter.

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