"Early Smartphone Use Linked to Higher Risk of Depression and Obesity in Children," Warns US Researchers

Children Using Smartphones Before Age 12 Face Worse Sleep and Mental Health
Experts: "Parents Should Reconsider When to Provide Smartphones"

A study from the United States has found that children who begin using smartphones at an early age are at a higher risk of experiencing issues such as depression, obesity, and sleep deprivation. However, the researchers cautioned that while smartphone use cannot be definitively said to directly cause health deterioration, parents should carefully consider when to provide their children with such devices.

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On December 1 (local time), the New York Times reported, citing a paper published in the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) journal "Pediatrics," that a significant association has been identified between the age at which children begin using smartphones and their mental and physical health.

The research team analyzed data from the "Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study," which involved 10,500 children and adolescents in the United States. The findings revealed that children who owned a smartphone before the age of 12 were at a higher risk of depression and were more likely to experience obesity and sleep deprivation compared to their peers who did not. The earlier a child started using a smartphone, the greater these risks tended to be.

The study also found that children who did not own a smartphone until age 12 but started using one a year later were still at a higher risk for mental health problems and sleep disorders compared to those who did not. In this survey, the median age at which children first acquired a smartphone was 11.

Ran Barzilay, a child psychiatrist at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, emphasized, "A 12-year-old child and a 16-year-old adolescent are at very different developmental stages," adding, "Even small changes during the pre- and post-puberty period can have long-term effects on sleep and mental health."

However, some experts pointed out that this study only demonstrates a 'correlation' between early smartphone use and health deterioration, and does not prove a causal relationship between smartphone use and declining health.

Jacqueline Nesi, a professor studying psychiatry and human behavior at Brown University, stated, "While it is not impossible, it is extremely difficult to establish causality," but also noted, "These findings can serve as a reference for parents considering delaying the timing of giving smartphones to their children."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.