Episode Details

New Data Connects Smartphone Ownership at Age 12 to Obesity and Mental Health Concerns

Published 12 hours ago

Early smartphone ownership at age 12 is linked to higher risks of depression, obesity, and insufficient sleep, placing your child on a riskier long-term developmental path
Each year earlier a child receives a smartphone increases the odds of obesity and insufficient sleep, showing just how much the timing of that first phone shapes their health
Children who acquire a smartphone between ages 12 and 13 face sharply higher rates of emotional symptoms and poor sleep compared to peers who remain phone-free
Receiving a smartphone before age 13 is linked to lower self-worth, weaker emotional resilience, and greater psychological distress in young adulthood
Simple steps like delaying smartphone access, keeping devices out of bedrooms, and reducing wireless exposure support healthier sleep, emotional steadiness, and long-term well-being