Children With Cell Phones Before Age 13 Are More Likely To Suffer From Anxiety And Low Self-Esteem

Children who receive smartphones too early may face greater mental health risks later in life. A large international study showed that those who receive a smartphone before the age of 13 experience more emotional problems, such as low self-esteem, difficulty managing feelings, and even suicidal thoughts. Therefore, experts suggest delaying smartphone ownership at this age and accompanying it with digital education and greater responsibility from technology companies.

Since the early 2000s, smartphones have become central to the lives of children and adolescents. These devices act as a kind of access key to a digital world guided by artificial intelligence systems. They offer many opportunities, such as staying in touch with friends, learning new things, and staying entertained. However, along with the benefits, significant risks also arise.

This is because the algorithms that control social networks—the automatic systems that select and recommend what appears on each user's screen—do not prioritize children's well-being. The main goal is to keep people connected for as long as possible.

To achieve this, these systems select content that generates engagement, even if it's inappropriate, violent, pornographic, or promotes extremist ideas. Furthermore, this constant use can disrupt sleep, reduce face-to-face interaction time, and negatively impact self-esteem and personal choices.

An additional problem is that, although many platforms officially set a minimum age of 13, this rule is rarely enforced. As a result, more and more children are receiving their first smartphone while still in elementary school and spending many hours a day on these devices.

This scenario raises an important question: to what extent does this early use affect mental development and long-term mental health?

To answer this question, scientists turned to the Global Mind Project, an international effort that collects information on mental health in different countries. The idea was not to look solely at specific symptoms, such as depression or anxiety, but rather to analyze a broader concept of mental health.

This concept includes emotional, social, and cognitive aspects, such as the ability to cope with challenges, maintain healthy relationships, regulate emotions, and function well in daily life.

The method consisted of analyzing the age at which participants received their first smartphone and comparing this data with indicators of mental health and well-being collected on a large scale. To this end, samples from different regions of the world were used, allowing for the observation of common trends as well as differences across cultural contexts.

This approach is more robust than previous studies, which were often limited to short follow-up periods or specific groups of young people.

The results showed a clear pattern: those who received a smartphone before the age of 13 had, on average, worse mental health indicators in their youth. This effect was even more evident in young women, who reported higher levels of suicidal thoughts, greater difficulty coping with emotions, feelings of disconnection from reality, and lower self-esteem.

Among the factors that help explain this relationship are early exposure to social media, cyberbullying, sleep disruption, and problems in family relationships.

Furthermore, these effects were observed in virtually all regions of the world, but were strongest in English-speaking countries such as the United States and the United Kingdom. This suggests that the impact of early smartphone use is not only individual but also influenced by cultural and social factors.

Based on these findings, the researchers advocate the adoption of preventive measures, inspired by policies already used for other substances or products that affect development, such as alcohol and tobacco.

The proposals include: restricting children under 13's access to smartphones and social media, implementing digital education programs in schools, and demanding greater accountability from technology companies regarding the effects of their products. The goal of these measures is to protect the mental health of new generations and ensure that children and adolescents have safer conditions to grow, learn, and flourish as individuals.

READ MORE:

Protecting the Developing Mind in a Digital Age: A Global Policy Imperative

Tara C. Thiagarajan, Jennifer Jane Newson, and Shailender Swaminathan

Journal of Human Development and Capabilities. 26(3), 493–504.

DOI: 10.1080/19452829.2025.2518313

Abstract: 

The global rise in smartphone and social media use has dramatically reshaped childhood and adolescence, with algorithmically engineered digital environments increasingly influencing young people’s capabilities and functionings. This paper draws on data from the Global Mind Project to examine the population-level impacts of childhood smartphone ownership on mind health and wellbeing in young adulthood. Our analysis reveals that receiving a smartphone before age 13 is associated with poorer mind health outcomes in young adulthood, particularly among females, including suicidal thoughts, detachment from reality, poorer emotional regulation, and diminished self-worth. These correlations are mediated through several factors, including social media access, cyberbullying, disrupted sleep, and poor family relationships. This trend appears consistently across all global regions with the magnitude greatest in English-speaking nations. Based on these findings, we advocate for the adoption of a precautionary principle. We propose the implementation of a developmentally appropriate, society-wide policy approach, similar to those regulating access to alcohol and tobacco, that restricts smartphone and social media access for children under 13, mandates digital literacy education, and enforces corporate accountability. These measures aim to protect the foundational elements of mind health and wellbeing that underpin the capabilities and functionings for human flourishing in future generations.