A new study in the journal Pediatrics warns that giving a child a smartphone too early could have harmful effects.
To reach this conclusion, the researchers from Children's Hospital Philadelphia, the University of California at Berkeley, and Columbia University looked at the emotional and physical health data of 10,588 kids and the age at which they first got a smartphone.
"We didn't even look at what the kids did on the phone," lead author Ran Barzilay told CBS News. "We basically asked one simple question: does the mere factor of having one's own smartphone at this age range have anything to do with health outcomes?"
Researchers found that about 63.6 percent of the kids owned a smartphone, and the average age they got one was 11.
The younger the kids were when they got their first phone, the worse their health outcomes were, especially problems like lack of sleep and weight gain. When comparing kids who received a smartphone by age 12 with those who did not, the study found that one year later, kids without smartphones had better mental health.
Researchers say their goal is not to discourage parents from giving phones to kids, but to show that smartphones can affect children's health and that age plays an important role.
"For many teens, smartphones can play a constructive role by strengthening social connections, supporting learning, and providing access to information and resources that promote personal growth," Barzilay said. "Likewise, some families may view a smartphone as a necessity for safety or communication."
The researchers now hope to study younger children who got phones before age 10 to understand who may be at the highest risk from smartphone use and how to protect kids and teens from the negative impacts.
"Most probably, all teens will eventually have a smartphone," Barzilay told CBS News. "Once this happens, it is advisable to monitor what our children do on their phones, ensuring they're not exposed to inappropriate content and that smartphones don't disrupt sleep."
For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com
Health News
May 01, 2026 15:54 ET Central banks dominated the economics news flow this week with almost all major ones announcing their latest policy decisions and many boosted expectations for a rate hike in June. In other news, several countries released the preliminary data for first quarter economic growth. In the U.S., comments by Fed Chair Jerome Powell were also in focus as his term ends this month.