Scientists Call for Ban on Social Media and Smartphones Before Age 13
10 days ago
- #mental health
- #child development
- #social media
- A global study links smartphone and social media use before age 13 to poor mental health outcomes in young adulthood, especially among young women.
- The study, published in the Journal of Human Development and Capabilities, analyzed data from nearly two million people across 163 countries.
- Researchers found that early smartphone ownership leads to increased mental distress, including suicidal thoughts and diminished emotional control.
- The study suggests that algorithm-driven social media disrupts key developmental activities like in-person interaction and sleep.
- Generation Z, the first to grow up with smartphones, shows progressively worse mental health with earlier smartphone ownership.
- Factors like cyberbullying, disrupted sleep, and poor family relationships mediate these negative outcomes.
- Researchers advocate for a ban on smartphones and social media for children under 13, similar to age restrictions on alcohol and tobacco.
- The study's findings are self-reported and lack specifics on which types of smartphone use drive the results.
- The full research paper is available in the Journal of Human Development and Capabilities.