Published 3 days ago • loading... • Updated 2 days ago

Study Reveals Cost of Giving Kids Smartphones Too Early

Researchers from Sapien Labs published a July 20, 2025 study tracking over 100,000 young adults aged 18 to 24 across 163 countries on early smartphone ownership and adult mental health.
The study used data from the Global Mind Project and the Mind Health Quotient to correlate earlier smartphone ownership, especially before age 13, with poorer mental health outcomes, though it did not prove causation.
Young adults who obtained their first smartphone before turning 13 exhibited increased instances of self-harm ideation, hostile behavior, dissociative experiences, and sensory distortions, with the most pronounced impacts observed in English-speaking countries where early device use and exposure to harmful online content are more prevalent.
Among young women given smartphones at ages 5 to 6, 48% reported experiencing suicidal thoughts, whereas only 28% of those who acquired their first device at age 13 did so, with early exposure to social media accounting for roughly 40% of the association with mental health challenges.
The researchers advocate urgent policy actions including restricting smartphone access for under-13s, mandatory digital literacy, and stronger enforcement of age limits to protect developing minds during critical periods.

Insights by Ground AI

Does this summary seem wrong?

Podcasts & Opinions

19 Articles

Study Finds

Center

Kids Who Get Smartphones Before 13 Face Skyrocketing Suicide Risk, Study Warns

A sweeping new study tracking more than 100,000 young adults across the globe reveals a troubling pattern that should alarm every parent: the younger children are when they first own a smartphone, the worse their mental health becomes by early adulthood. The post Kids Who Get Smartphones Before 13 Face Skyrocketing Suicide Risk, Study Warns appeared first on Study Finds.

3 days ago

Read Full Article