A new study suggests that children, especially girls, who have smartphones before the age of 13 may have worse mental health as they grow up.
The study published Sunday in the Journal of Human Development and Capabilities analyzed self-reported questionnaire results from more than 100,000 young adults between the ages of 18 and 24.
The questionnaire asked respondents about mental health symptoms, such as aggression, feelings of isolation, hallucinations and suicidal thoughts. Those who were given smartphones at an earlier age were associated with worse mental health outcomes for every year of smartphone ownership before age 13.
Early smartphone ownership was associated with lower self-image and feelings of low self-worth in both girls and boys. Girls reported less emotional flexibility and less self-confidence, while boys reported feeling less calm, less stable, and less empathetic.
“The younger a child gets a smartphone, the greater the impact that exposure has on them psychologically and the way they think and see the world,” Tara Thiagarajan, one of the study’s authors, told ABC News in an email statement.
About 48% of young women who owned a smartphone at age 5 or 6 reported having serious suicidal thoughts, compared with 28% of women who owned a smartphone at age 13 or older.
Among young men who had smartphones at age 5 or 6, 31% reported having serious suicidal thoughts and 20% of men who had smartphones at age 13 or older reported having serious suicidal thoughts.
The study authors attributed the difference between young women and young men’s mental health symptoms to social media use. Other factors influencing mental health outcomes were cyberbullying, poor sleep, and poor family relationships.
The study’s authors recommended restricting smartphone and social media access for children under 13, promoting digital literacy education and corporate accountability.
“Ideally, kids shouldn’t have a smartphone until they’re 14, and when they do get a smartphone, parents should take time to have discussions with their kids about how they interact on the Internet and the consequences of doing different things,” Thiagarajan said.
ABC News’ Dr. Tara Narula also said on “Good Morning America” on Monday that limiting children’s access to social media appears to be an important step to protect children and their mental health outcomes.
“The longer we allow our kids to be on social media, the better we’ll learn,” Narula said. “I think a lot of families are getting creative…landlines…flip phones for kids [are] “Maybe an option to allow them to communicate without all the other stuff that comes with smartphones.”
The study’s findings come amid an effort led by social psychologist Jonathan Haidt, author of “Anxious Generation,” to limit children’s smartphone use because of the impact it has on their mental health. Haidt has proposed setting nationwide “norms” or guidelines, including not giving smartphones to children before high school, no social media before age 16, and setting schools as phone-free zones.
Pediatrician Dr. Natasha Burgert also recommended that parents teach children to use smartphones responsibly.
“Kids watch everything you do — and it doesn’t stop until they leave your house,” Burgert told ABC News via email. “Connect authentically and meaningfully for a few minutes every day, and show your kids that the human beings we live with are more important and worthy of our attention than our phones.”
The American Academy of Pediatrics also advises families to follow the 5Cs of media use, which includes teaching children and teens how to stay safe online, as content and advertising may target older audiences.
- Child – Consider your child and their personality. What media are they attracted to and how do they react to it?
- Material – Consider the content of the media your child consumes. Encourage them to consider good media sources.
- Calm – Help your child learn how to manage their emotions even without the help of media.
- crowding out – Consider what your family would like to do to spend more quality time besides consuming media.
- Communications – Discuss media with children early and often and encourage digital literacy learning.