"Smartphones are ubiquitous. Could we manage our lives without them? Children certainly could, yet the latest CyberSafeKids trends and usage report showed that two out of every five 8 to 12-year-olds have their own smartphone."
"A major new study published this month in the journal Pediatrics analysed data from more than 10,500 children and found a worrisome pattern: owning a smartphone at age 12 was associated with significantly higher risks of depression, obesity and insufficient sleep compared with children who did not own one."
"Crucially, the younger a child was when they got their first phone, the worse some of these health markers were."
"Parents' efforts to control use didn't erase those associations. What mattered most was simply whether the child owned the device."
Data from more than 10,500 children show that owning a smartphone at age 12 correlates with significantly higher rates of depression, obesity and insufficient sleep compared with peers without phones. Earlier age at first phone is linked with worse health markers. Parental attempts to limit or control smartphone use did not eliminate these associations; device ownership itself was the strongest factor. CyberSafeKids trends indicate that two in five children aged 8 to 12 already have their own smartphone. Smartphones are widespread, and children can function without personal devices.
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