Study Links Early Smartphone Use to Child Health Risks

A new study has found that children who receive a smartphone by age 12 face a higher risk of depression, obesity and inadequate sleep compared to those who do not, with risks increasing the younger they are when they get the device.

Published on December 1 in the journal Pediatrics, the research analyzed data from more than 10,500 participants in the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study, the largest long-term examination of brain development and child health in the United States. Researchers compared outcomes for children who owned a smartphone by age 12 against those who did not, and also examined a subset of about 3,800 children without phones at that age. Among this group, those who acquired a smartphone by age 13 showed elevated mental health symptoms and poorer sleep quality one year later than peers who remained without one. The median age for receiving a first smartphone in the study was 11.

The findings indicate an association rather than direct causation, but they align with prior research suggesting that early smartphone ownership may reduce time spent on in-person socializing, physical exercise and restful sleep, all critical for adolescent well-being....