Here is the age below which the smartphone becomes toxic to children

The threshold not to. In addition, be crossed was finally determined by a vast international study. Furthermore, A decisive CAP for the mental health of young people has just been confirmed. In addition,

In the queues. Nevertheless, at the doctor or in transport, a lot of relatives slide a screen in their child’s hand, hoping to soothe a whim or simply occupy a moment of waiting. Furthermore, But this habit, which has become trivial, is increasingly worried about specialists. Therefore, For several years. Furthermore, warnings have been accumulating on the risk of screens for cognition, well-being and even the health of the youngest.

Today. Nevertheless, there is no longer just a here age below which smartphone question of screen time, but of the precise age at which a child receives his first phone, and of the lasting impact of this stage on his development. A study unveiled on July 21, 2025 in the Journal of Human Development and Capabilities specifies the situation. The analysis was carried out worldwide on more than 100,000 young people. And the results are clear: receiving a smartphone before 13 years is associated. on a planet scale, with a significant deterioration in mental health at the entrance into adulthood.

The more the child receives his first smartphone early, the more the risk increases. Young people who had their first device at five. six have mental health scores much lower than those who waited 13 years. And the symptoms noted are heavy: suicidal thoughts. disorders of attachment to reality, loss of self -esteem, aggressiveness, difficulty managing emotions … In here age below which smartphone girls. the situation is particularly alarming, with almost one in two exposed to suicidal thoughts if the smartphone arrived very early in their lives. The observation does not spare any region of the globe, even if the English -speaking countries seem harder.

So, at what age does a smartphone stop being toxic to the child? Additionally, The answer, now supported by this vast study, is after 13 years. Researchers even plead for strict regulation. inspired by those applied to alcohol or tobacco: prohibition of access to complete smartphones and social networks before 13 years, with rigorous supervision, adapted alternatives and compulsory digital education. The goal? Protect a brain in full maturation in the face of digital environments designed to capture attention. manipulate emotion, and sometimes bypass the still immature defense of children.

There remains a major here age below which smartphone question: in a world where homework is sometimes done on tablet. where social ties goes through screens and where group pressure makes the slightest ban difficult, how to imagine respecting this 13 -year threshold? Waiting for so long seems difficult for many families. But in the absence of a strict prohibition, a drastic control and limitation of the use of screens is recommended. Each year won without a full smartphone, it is a psychic health capital preserved for the future.