The Younger a Child Receives a Smartphone, the Greater the Risk to Their Mental Health
Today, it is becoming increasingly common for children to own smartphones at very young ages. Some receive their first device as early as five or six years old. While this may seem like a harmless way to keep them entertained or connected, new research suggests it may be putting their emotional well-being and mental health at serious risk.
A recent large-scale study tracked over 100,000 young adults between the ages of 18 and 24. The findings were clear and deeply concerning: the younger a child is when they receive their first smartphone, the more likely they are to experience mental health challenges later in life. These challenges include anxiety, depression, emotional instability, aggressive behaviour, and even suicidal thoughts.
One of the most alarming discoveries is that nearly half of the young women in the study who were given smartphones at age five or six now report having suicidal thoughts. In contrast, among those who received their first phone at age thirteen, less than 30 percent reported the same. This difference shows how early exposure to smartphones may significantly increase the likelihood of emotional distress in adolescence and early adulthood.
The Science Behind the Concern
The results of this study align with another comprehensive review published in Psychological Bulletin. This review analysed 117 long-term studies involving more than 292,000 children from different countries and backgrounds. Unlike earlier studies that offered only short-term insights, these longitudinal studies tracked children over several years to understand how screen use and emotional development interact over time.
The review found that:
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Screen use slightly predicted later emotional and behavioural problems.
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Children who already had emotional struggles were more likely to increase their screen time over time.
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These effects became stronger the earlier and longer children were exposed to screens.
Importantly, the study also highlighted that not all screen use is equal. Playing video games was found to have a stronger link to emotional difficulties than passive activities like watching videos. Children often turn to games as a way to cope with negative emotions, but the design of many games can make emotional problems worse over time.
Patterns by Age, Gender, and Background
The emotional impact of screen use was more noticeable in older children, possibly because they have more control over what they access online. Content such as social media, online games, and peer comparisons can be especially damaging during the critical years of adolescence.
Girls were more emotionally affected by early screen use, especially in middle childhood. Boys, on the other hand, were more likely to use screens as a coping mechanism and showed more behavioural challenges linked to screen overuse.
The study also found that children from racial and ethnic minority backgrounds were more strongly affected in both directions. While more research is needed to understand why, these differences may reflect disparities in screen access, parental supervision, or emotional support systems.
Why Early Screen Use Matters
Excessive screen use can interfere with essential aspects of healthy development. It can reduce the time children spend sleeping, playing, exercising, reading, and interacting with family and peers. These are all vital to building emotional resilience, empathy, self-esteem, and social skills.
When children use screens excessively or are given smartphones too early, these healthy developmental experiences are often displaced. This leaves them more vulnerable to anxiety, poor self-image, attention issues, and emotional disconnection.
What Families and Schools Can Do
The researchers recommend that society begin to treat smartphone access during childhood with the same caution given to other age-restricted products such as alcohol or tobacco. They suggest:
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Delaying access to smartphones until at least age thirteen
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Replacing smartphones with simpler phones that allow only calls and text messages
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Making digital literacy education mandatory before social media access
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Enforcing existing age restrictions more effectively
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Encouraging more research into the impact of digital media on different groups of children
A Call to Action
This growing body of evidence makes it clear: smartphones are not simply tools of convenience. They are powerful and often overwhelming devices that can shape a child’s development in harmful ways if introduced too early or used without limits.
Parents, educators, and policymakers must take this research seriously. Protecting a child’s mental and emotional health begins with setting firm boundaries around screen use. It also means understanding that screens should never take the place of real-life experiences that are critical to healthy growth, such as meaningful relationships, outdoor play, unstructured creativity, and adequate rest.
Smartphones may be everywhere, but childhood only happens once. We must be wise in how we protect it.
