Mental health at risk! Phones for kids under 13 ‘shape the way they think,' warn experts
One of the study's authors, Tara Thiagarajan, said that more exposure to smartphones impacts younger children psychologically and alters the way they think and perceive the world.
'The younger the child gets a smartphone, the more exposure to all this impacts them psychologically and shapes the way they think and view the world,' she told ABC News.
The study, published in the Journal of Human Development and Capabilities, analysed self-reported questionnaire results from more than 1,00,000 young adults between the ages of 18 and 24.
It was based on questions about mental health symptoms, such as having aggression, feelings of detachment, hallucinations and suicidal thoughts.
The study revealed that those who were given smartphones at an earlier age were associated with worse mental health outcomes.
The study found that owning smartphones early, before 13 years of age, was associated with feelings of lower self-image and lower self-worth in both girls and boys.
It resulted in lower emotional resilience and confidence for girls, while the boys reported feeling less calm, less stable, and less empathetic.
Nearly 48% of young women who had smartphones by age 5 or 6 reported experiencing severe suicidal thoughts—compared to 28% among those who got their first phone at 13 or later.
Among young men, the figures were 31% for early phone users and 20% for those who got phones at 13 or older.
Experts have attributed the differences between women's and men's mental health symptoms to social media usage. Other factors that impacted the mental health outcomes were cyberbullying, poor sleep and poor family relationships.
To protect children's mental health, experts urge restrictions on smartphone and social media use for those under 13, alongside better digital education and greater corporate responsibility.
'Ideally, children should not have a smartphone until age 14, and when they do get a smartphone, parents should take the time to discuss with their children how to interact on the Internet and explain the consequences of doing various things,' Tara said.
According to the American Academy of Paediatrics, as cited by ABC News, families must follow the 5 C's of media use:
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