A global study has found that children given smartphones before the age of 13 face significantly higher risks of mental health challenges, including suicidal thoughts, low self-worth, aggression, and detachment from reality.
The research, conducted by the nonprofit Sapien Labs and published in the Journal of the Human Development and Capabilities, analyzed data from 100,000 people aged 18 to 24 across multiple countries. Participants self-reported on 47 aspects of their mental, emotional, social, and physical health to produce overall “mind health” scores.
The results show a striking pattern: the earlier a child received a smartphone, the worse their mental health in early adulthood. Young adults who got their first smartphone at age 13 had mind health scores around 30, but that figure dropped to nearly zero among those who received phones at just five years old.
The study also revealed that girls are particularly vulnerable. Nearly 9.5% of young women were classified as “struggling” with their mental health compared to 7% of young men, regardless of cultural or geographic background.
Key risk factors identified include disrupted sleep, poor emotional regulation, increased exposure to cyberbullying, and weakened family relationships. The findings remained consistent across socioeconomic groups and countries, suggesting a universal link between early smartphone use and deteriorating mental health.
Lead author Dr. Tara Thiagarajan has called for urgent action. “I’d like to see smartphones regulated like alcohol or tobacco,” she said. “This includes age restrictions, limits on social media access, mandatory digital literacy education, and holding tech companies accountable.”
She emphasized that younger children are particularly susceptible because of their still-developing cognitive and emotional capacities. “The strength of these results surprised me at first, but when you think about the fragile state of the developing mind, it begins to make sense,” she added.
In response to growing concerns, several European nations have already imposed classroom smartphone bans. France, Italy, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, and certain Spanish regions enforce full-day bans in schools, while other countries like Denmark, Portugal, and Cyprus are considering similar steps.
The European Union has also introduced legislation aimed at protecting children online. This includes the Digital Services Act, the General Data Protection Regulation, and the Audiovisual Media Services Directive. Most recently, the European Parliament voted to criminalize AI-generated child abuse images and online grooming practices.
As digital devices become increasingly common in children’s lives, researchers and policymakers are sounding the alarm on their long-term psychological impact—and calling for regulation before the effects become irreversible.
