Kids who have their own smartphones at age 12 are more likely to develop eating disorder symptoms than their peers without the devices, according to a new study, reports BritPanorama.
The research, published in the medical journal JAMA Network Open, stems from a wide-ranging survey of nearly 9,000 adolescents across the United States. The findings indicate that young smartphone users are encountering increased exposure to appearance-focused content, potentially fostering unhealthy eating behaviors.
“A smartphone can put a world of appearance-focused content in a young person’s pocket,” said Dr. Jason Nagata, the study’s lead author. He emphasizes that parents should recognize that providing a smartphone alters access to various types of content and exposures in the digital landscape. It is not only important whether children receive phones, but also the timing of such access.
Younger kids with phones may have problems
Time spent on screens and social media is linked to a range of negative outcomes for children, including depression and lower self-esteem. Past research by Nagata’s lab has highlighted correlations between screen time and binge eating. Unlike previous studies that focused on device usage duration, this analysis concentrated on the age at which children begin using smartphones and how this early exposure might influence the onset of disordered eating.
Globally, around 22% of children and adolescents show signs of disordered eating, which can vary in severity. Such eating patterns might manifest as a fixation on food and weight or compensatory behaviors related to calorie intake.
Data from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study revealed that 70% of 12-year-olds own a smartphone. Among those, 24% reported experiencing at least one symptom of an eating disorder by age 14, while fewer than 16% of adolescents without a smartphone at 12 showed similar symptoms two years later.
Being 12 is tough — how parents can help
The tween years are pivotal for both physical and emotional development. As puberty brings about significant changes in body image, children naturally compare themselves to others. “But when you’re comparing yourself to influencers whose images are curated, edited and filtered,” Nagata notes, “that can lead to more body dissatisfaction and poor self-esteem, and then that can be a risk factor for eating disorders.”
Children with smartphones at 12 are twice as likely to link their self-worth to weight and 1.5 times more inclined to engage in weight control behaviors. Delaying smartphone access may protect adolescents from early body image issues, suggests Dr. Mitch Prinstein, who advocates for a gradual introduction to social media and online content tracking.
Most major social media platforms set 13 as the minimum age for account creation. However, Nagata’s previous research indicates that nearly two-thirds of 11- and 12-year-olds already have accounts on platforms like TikTok and Instagram.
This latest study does not provide a definitive answer regarding the optimal age for giving children smartphones. Nevertheless, it suggests that parents consider implementing “additional guardrails,” such as restricting app downloads and monitoring online activity.
Parental involvement remains crucial. Establishing ground rules for phone usage, maintaining open dialogues about online content, and being attentive to changes in eating habits and body image discussions are all recommended strategies for fostering healthier digital engagement among youths.
