New research indicates that while scientists cannot determine a precise golden age for a child to receive a first mobile phone, evidence suggests that ownership should not begin before age 13. Findings from a major study led by Ran Barzilay at the University of Pennsylvania shed new light on how early access to smartphones affects young users. Drawing on data from more than 10,500 children across 21 U.S. states, the study identifies notable health risks tied to receiving a device too early.
Children given their first smartphone at age 12 or younger showed sharply elevated risks. According to the study, these children were associated with a 60 percent greater likelihood of sleep disturbances. They also faced a 31 percent higher risk of developing symptoms linked to depression. Additionally, the analysis found a 40 percent increased chance of obesity compared with peers who received a phone at age 13 or later.
Barzilay, a professor of psychiatry and child adolescent psychology at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, stresses that handing a child a phone is fundamentally a health decision. His assessment highlights the need for parents to weigh potential impacts carefully.
When you give your child a phone, you should think of it as a health related choice and act accordingly, he said.
Further emphasizing the growing body of data, Barzilay describes these findings as information that cannot be overlooked. After the study was published, he told the Washington Post that relatives and friends increasingly seek his advice on managing phone use among children.
The professor, who is the father of 3 children, acknowledges that his own older children, now 18 and 14, received smartphones earlier than recommended. His youngest child, aged 9, will wait longer based on what the research now makes clear.
I told him this is something we do to help keep you healthy. You have your whole life to use smartphones and technology. We want to introduce them responsibly in a way that prioritizes your wellbeing, he said, adding that parents should not feel guilty if they already provided devices to younger children.
He notes that earlier decisions were made without the knowledge now available. Barzilay explains that it is important to avoid blaming parents, as previous choices were guided by the information of the time.
The key message from the study, he states, is that age matters. A 12 year old is significantly different developmentally from a 16 year old, and those differences carry real consequences when considering phone use.
A 12 year old is very very different from a 16 year old. The contrast is not comparable to the difference between adults aged 42 and 46.
Current data shows that the average age at which children in the United States receive their first mobile phone is 11, although nearly all children have access to devices irrespective of ownership.
