The study, conducted with more than 100,000 young people, establishes a link between early smartphone use and a decline in mental health in adulthood.
MENTAL HEALTH - For parents, a smartphone is a purchase that often accompanies their child's entry into middle school. Because children are now gaining independence , the phone is seen as a reliable way to ensure they have arrived home safely after school or even to track their movements throughout the day.
Last October, a study by the Observatory of Parenthood and Digital Education (Open) confirmed that pre-teens generally receive their first mobile phone around the age of 11. But according to new research, recently published in July 2025 in the Journal of Human Development and Capabilities , this is still far too early, and it has an impact on their mental health.
Previous research had already demonstrated that early smartphone use was linked to an increased risk of anxiety and depression in adolescents. This new study goes further. By analyzing the results of self-reported questionnaires from more than 100,000 young people aged 18 to 24 from around the world, it found that this use also has an impact on family relationships, sleep quality, emotion regulation, and self-esteem.
“Our data indicate that early smartphone ownership, and the access to social media it often entails, is linked to a profound change in mental health and well-being in early adulthood,” explains a press release neuroscientist Tara Thiagarajan, lead author of the study and founder of Sapien Labs, a non-profit organization that studies the impact of the environment on the brain.
Low self-esteem and suicidal thoughts
The questionnaire inquired about various mental health parameters. Specifically, the results showed that the earlier children acquired a smartphone, the more this was associated with a decrease in self-esteem, in both girls and boys. The girls surveyed reported lower emotional resilience and self-confidence, while the boys reported feeling less calm, less stable, and less empathetic.
The study also showed a correlation between early smartphone ownership and declining mental health. Respondents who received theirs before the age of 13 were more likely to experience aggression, feelings of detachment, hallucinations, and suicidal thoughts.
Furthermore, premature use of social networks increases the risk of poor family relationships by 13%, the risk of cyberbullying by 10%, and sleep disorders by 12%.
No smartphones before age 14
According to the authors of the study, these results are proof that access to the first smartphone needs to be regulated more, especially since this often happens well before the age of 13.
“Ideally, children should not have a smartphone before the age of 14, and when they do, parents should take the time to discuss with them how to interact online and explain the consequences of their actions,” Tara Thiagarajan said in a statement to ABC News .
But the researcher also wants to involve political decision-makers in this regulation of smartphone use: "We urge them to adopt a preventative approach, similar to the regulations on alcohol and tobacco, by limiting access to smartphones for those under 13, making digital technology education mandatory, and strengthening corporate responsibility."
Charlotte Arce on the Huffington Post
https://www.huffingtonpost.fr/life/article/agressivite-pensees-suicidaires-offrir-un-smartphone-avant-cet-age-est-une-mauvaise-idee-selon-une-etude-clx1_253041.html