A global study involving over 100,000 individuals from 59 countries links owning a smartphone before age 13 to negative mental health outcomes in early adulthood, particularly among young women. The research emphasizes that it is not just screen time that matters but the timing of when children are exposed to digital technology. Thirteen emerges as a critical threshold that suggests earlier smartphone access is associated with significant psychological risks. This challenges common perceptions, highlighting the need for new parental guidelines related to child smartphone access.
A new global study, involving over 100,000 individuals across 59 countries, suggests that owning a smartphone before the age of 13 may mark a critical threshold in a child's cognitive and emotional development.
Children who had smartphones before age 13 showed significantly poorer mental health outcomes in early adulthood, indicating that earlier digital access correlates with significant psychological risk.
This study shifts the conversation fundamentally. It doesn't focus on volume; it focuses on timing, suggesting that early digital use impacts mental health.
Thirteen emerges as a data-driven boundary that holds up across societies, contradicting previous discussions focusing primarily on screen time.
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