Phone Overload: Unveiling the Impact of Excessive Phone Use on Children

Understanding why smartphone use in children can lead to mental health problems.

Highlights:

Adolescents who receive smartphones or tablets later in life are likely to have better mental health outcomes as adults
Women who obtained smartphones at a young age were more negatively affected in terms of mental health compared to men
There is a need for effective policies and interventions to support healthy mental development in the digital age, particularly in countries like India where a high percentage of children use smartphones at an early age

Do you intend to give your adolescent a smartphone? Before making that decision, you might want to think twice. According to a study conducted by the US-based non-profit Sapien Labs, the later youngsters receive a smartphone or tablet, the better their mental health will likely be as adults ().

The research also found that women who obtain a smartphone at a young age are more negatively affected than men ().

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‘Children who use smartphones or tablets at a young age are more likely to develop mental health problems as adults, with women being more seriously affected.’

The Effect of Smartphone on Children: The Study

In this study, the data was collected from volunteers using a 47-element assessment that covers "a wide range of symptoms and mental capabilities on a life impact scale that is combined to provide an aggregate score, called the Mental Health Quotient or MHQ, as well as dimensional scores."

These scores and evaluations for each factor were then compared to the stated age of possessing the first smartphone or tablet.

74% of female participants who obtained their first smartphone at the age of six were found to have faced mental health issues as young adults, with their scores falling within the "distressed" or "struggling" MHQ range.

Around 61% of women who received their first smartphone at the age of ten experience mental health concerns as young adults. This dropped to 52% for those who obtained the device when they were 15 years old.

When the average age for first smartphone ownership was 18, 46% of women were found to be experiencing mental health issues.

In the case of men, over 42% of those who got their first smartphone at the age of six had "distressed" or "struggling" mental states. This dropped to 36% for guys who received the device at the age of 18.

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The study discovered that as children age, their "Social Self, an aggregate measure of various elements such as self-confidence and the ability to relate positively to others," improves.

“The results are consistent across regions, including South Asia, and thus apply to India as well. Problems with suicidal thoughts, feelings of aggression towards others, a sense of being detached from reality, and hallucinations declined most steeply and significantly with older age of first smartphone ownership for females, and for males as well, but to a lesser degree,” the researchers said.

"However, while for females it (the observed pattern) was highly significant across all regions, for males the trend was only directional but not significant in South Asia," according to the study.

Furthermore, the researchers found a link between mental well-being at ages 18-24 and the age of first smartphone ownership, even among those who had no traumatic or bad childhood experiences ().

"Having your phone early means more mental health problems as an adult, particularly suicidal thoughts, feelings of aggression towards others, and a sense of being detached from reality; overall, a poorer sense of social self,' that is, how one views oneself and relates to others," Sapien Labs founder Dr. Tara Thiagarajan.

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Importance of Policy and Intervention Among Young Smartphone Users

According to Dr. Thiagarajan, “These findings suggest that there are long-term improvements in mental well-being for each year of delay in getting a smartphone during childhood”.

“It’s important that we continue to study this relationship and work to develop effective policies and interventions that can support healthy mental development in the digital age to reverse the declining trends we have been tracking,”

The findings are especially relevant in India, where 83% of children aged 10 to 14 use cell phones, which is higher than the international average of 76%.

"This report makes a critical contribution in shaping our understanding of the role of early access to technology in influencing mental health outcomes for children and youth," said Shailender Swaminathan, head of Sapien Labs Centre for the Human Brain and Mind in India. The findings have substantial implications for schools, parents, employers, and others in India, which has over 200 million youth aged 15 to 25."

References:

Study Out from Sapien Labs Links Age of First Smartphone to Mental Wellbeing - (https://sapienlabs.org/whats_new/study-out-from-sapien-labs-links-age-of-first-smartphone-to-mental-wellbeing/)
Smartphones, social media use and youth mental health - (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32041697/)
Social Media Use and Mental Health among Young Adults - (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29090428/)

Source-Medindia

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