Preteens who own smartphones are likelier to have depression, obesity and insufficient sleep than their peers, according to a new University of Pennsylvania-led study.
Why it matters: Roughly half of American kids now own a smartphone by the time they turn 11.
- Pediatric health groups have recommended appropriate screen time for youths, but there are no public health guidelines on the appropriate age for kids to first get a smartphone, the study says.
What they found: Kids who owned a smartphone at age 12 were found to have about 31% higher odds of depression, 40% higher odds of obesity and 62% higher odds of insufficient sleep than their peers who didn't have one.
- The researchers analyzed data from the National Institutes of Health-supported Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study assessments conducted between 2016 and 2022. The study included responses from 10,588 youths.
- Kids who had smartphones were more likely to be female, Black or Hispanic, and from lower-income households.
- The findings will be published in a forthcoming issue of the journal Pediatrics.
The intrigue: The results seem specific to owning a smartphone, the researchers write, since their models accounted for owning other devices like tablets and smartwatches.
Zoom out: A separate study published last week found that a one-week social media detox significantly improved mental health outcomes among 373 young adults with problematic social media use.
The bottom line: "[S]martphone ownership offers unique challenges as it may grant youth unfettered access to a world for which they may not be ready, without the discipline to effectively manage their own use," the study says.
- Just like kids' diet, media consumption and relationships, kids' smartphones require dedicated oversight, it adds.
