Study: Owning a Smartphone at Age 12 May Be Linked to Increased Symptoms of Eating Disorders

- A new study has revealed that children who have their own smartphones at the age of 12 are more likely to exhibit symptoms of eating disorders compared to their peers who do not own these devices. This research, published on Friday in the medical journal "JAMA Network Open", is based on a large survey involving nearly 9,000 adolescents across the United States.

Dr. Jason Nagata, the lead author of the study, stated: "A smartphone can put an entire world of appearance-focused content in the pocket of a young person," exposing them to images and messages that may encourage unhealthy eating behaviors. He added: "It is important for parents to realize that getting a smartphone is not just about the device itself.

It can change the way a child accesses different types of content and what they are exposed to in the digital world." He clarified that it may not only be about whether to buy a phone for your child, but also about the timing of when you do so.

Younger children who own phones may face issues associated with spending too much time on social media screens, linked to a range of negative outcomes for children, including depression, decreased self-esteem, and experiences with drugs and alcohol. Previous research conducted by Nagata's lab has also found a relationship between screen time and binge eating.

Nagata, an associate professor of pediatrics at the University of California, San Francisco, noted that most previous studies have focused on the amount of time young people spend on their devices. However, in the new study, he wanted to focus on the age at which children start using these devices and how that may later affect the development of disordered eating patterns.

Research estimates indicate that about 22% of children and adolescents worldwide show signs of disordered eating. The fundamental difference between "disordered eating" and "eating disorders" lies in the severity and whether the individual meets medical diagnostic criteria.

Both may include excessive preoccupation with food and weight, a distorted perception of body shape and size, food restriction, or attempts to compensate for calories through vomiting or excessive exercise. Using data collected from a study on the cognitive development of adolescents' brains, a large, long-term American study examining brain growth and health in children, Nagata and his team found that 70% of 12-year-old children had their own phones.

Among these, 24% reported at least one symptom of eating disorders by the time they reached 14 years old. In comparison, the percentage was less than 16% among adolescents who did not own a smartphone at age 12 and later reported disordered eating behaviors two years later.

Age 12 is a challenging stage; how can parents help? The pre-adolescent years are a critical phase of growth, both physically and emotionally.

Puberty brings significant changes in the body and body image, and it is natural, according to Nagata, for children to compare themselves to others. Before the advent of smartphones and social media, these comparisons mostly occurred among peers.

Nagata said: "When you compare yourself to influencers whose images are carefully curated, edited, and filtered, it can lead to increased body dissatisfaction and low self-esteem, which may be a risk factor for eating disorders." Experts advise parents to set basic rules for phone use when giving pre-teen children these devices.

According to a study, children who owned smartphones at the age of 12 were twice as likely to link their self-worth to their weight, and they were about one and a half times more likely to try to control their weight, such as by eating low-calorie foods or exercising excessively. Dr. Mitch Prinstein, a professor of psychology and neuroscience at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and co-director of the Winston Center for Technology and Brain Development, stated that delaying the provision of smartphones to teenagers may protect them from body image issues, at least temporarily.

Prinstein did not participate in the current study, but he said recent research has begun to suggest that delaying children's access to phones and other devices for six months to a year may benefit their mental health. When children get their own phones, he recommends that parents allow them to "gradually and slowly be exposed to social media over time."

He added: "We don’t want to give them a fully open phone, where they have all the opportunities to visit anything they want, for an unlimited amount of time." Most major social media platforms set the minimum age for creating an account at 13 years.

However, previous research conducted by Nagata found that nearly two-thirds of children aged 11 to 12 have accounts on platforms like TikTok and Instagram. Nagata stated that the recent study does not provide the magic answer for the ideal age to give children a smartphone.

However, if parents decide to give pre-teen children their own phones, it may be helpful to consider setting "additional controls," such as limiting the apps that children can download and keeping phones out of bedrooms, making it easier to monitor their activity. Nagata explained: "It is extremely important for parents to remain engaged in their children's digital lives."

Nagata also recommends establishing clear rules for phone use, having open discussions about what children are watching online, and paying attention to any changes in their eating habits or the way they talk about their bodies.