A recent study has found a strong correlation between early smartphone ownership and poorer mental health outcomes in young adults. The Global Mind Project tracked over 100,000 people aged 18-24 across 163 countries and discovered that those who got their first smartphone before the age of 13 showed higher rates of suicidal thoughts, aggression, and emotional struggles.
Girls who received their first smartphone at age 5 or 6 reported suicidal thoughts at a rate of 48%, compared to just over a quarter of those who waited until 13. Researchers are urging policy changes, including mandatory digital literacy training and stricter age restrictions on smartphones and social media.
The study’s findings suggest that the earlier a child receives a smartphone, the worse their mental health becomes by early adulthood. The researchers point to the nature of English-language online content as a potential contributing factor, with algorithms promoting more harmful and exploitative material for younger users.
Social media access is identified as a key driver behind mental health decline, triggering cyberbullying, disrupted sleep patterns, and poor family relationships. Policy recommendations include treating smartphones and social media like other age-restricted substances, with mandatory education and stricter enforcement of existing age restrictions.
The study’s authors argue that the evidence does not yet prove causation but that waiting for definitive proof risks missing a critical window for intervention. The researchers are calling for a fundamental rethink of how society introduces children to digital life, citing the need for precautionary measures to protect developing minds.
Source: https://studyfinds.org/children-own-smartphone-mental-health-challenges