Starting Kids Early on Smartphones Tied to Health Issues

Key TakeawaysHanding smartphones out to tweens might be bad for their healthKids who had a phone by age 12 were more likely to have depression, obesity and poor sleepThe risk of obesity and poor sleep increased for each earlier year a tween got their phone.TUESDAY, Dec. 2, 2025 (HealthDay News) — Thinking of giving your tween a smartphone for Christmas?You might want to think again — giving a tween a smartphone might endanger their mental and physical health, a new study says.Kids who have a smartphone at age 12 are more likely to have depression and obesity compared to those that don't, researchers reported Dec. 1 in the journal Pediatrics.They’re also less likely to get healthy sleep, researchers added.“Smartphone ownership offers unique challenges as it may grant youth unfettered access to a world for which they may not be ready, without the discipline to effectively manage their own use,” wrote the research team led by Dr. Ran Barzilay, an assistant professor of psychiatry with the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia.For the new study, researchers analyzed data on nearly 10,600 children taking part in the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study, a long-term federal study of child health and development in the United States.Researchers found that kids who had smartphones by age 12 had a:31% higher risk of depression40% higher risk of obesity62% higher risk of insufficient sleepResults also showed that the younger a child got their smartphone, the higher their risk of obesity and poor sleep.For each year they got their phone younger, their risk of obesity increased by 9% and poor sleep by 8%, researchers report.“Results appear specific to smartphones as our models accounted for ownership of other devices including tablets, laptops, iPods and smartwatches,” the research team wrote.The team speculated that the phones might contribute to kids’ health problems by dividing their attention, keeping them up late scrolling, reducing their in-person interactions with others and decreasing their physical activity.“Given our findings, it is evident that a concrete framework is needed to advise on childhood and early adolescent smartphone ownership to support the healthier development of youth,” the team concluded.More informationThe American Academy of Pediatrics has a questionnaire to help parents judge if their child is ready to have a smartphone.SOURCES: American Academy of Pediatrics, news release, Dec. 1, 2025; Pediatrics, Dec. 1, 2025.What This Means For YouParents should carefully weigh whether their child has developed enough to responsible handle smartphone use.

Starting Kids Early on Smartphones Tied to Health Issues

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