An icing observation on the impact of the early smartphone
A vast global study conducted with More than 100,000 young adults aged 18 to 24distributed In 175 countriesreveals a alarming observation : those who had their First smartphone before 13 present a significantly lower mental well-being to those whose acquisition was later
The Average well-being score For a first smartphone received at 13 is 30, but Fall at 1 For those who had it from the age of 5. Young girls are particularly vulnerable: up to 48 % of girls who received their phone at 5 years old report suicidal thoughtsagainst 28 % among those who received it at 13 years old.
Early exposure to the smartphone: deep and lasting consequences
The study published in The Journal of Human Development and Capabilities highlights worrying effects on the mental health of young adults who had their first smartphone very early, sometimes from the age of 5. But beyond this global observation, the researchers sought to understand what, precisely, causes this Degradation of psychological well-being.
First identified factor: the intensive use of social networksoften accessible as soon as the phone is submitted. At an age when the child builds his identity and his relationship to the other, the exposure continues to social norms, physical comparisons, “likes” and comments can be destructive. Very quickly, young users faced unsuitable content, image pressure, the need for approval, or even online harassment. This immersion in digital environments designed to captivate and manipulate attention can cause anxiety, isolation, and fall in self -esteem. The study stresses that these effects are even more marked in girls, often more vulnerable to mechanisms for digital social evaluation.
Second point: L‘Impact on sleepwhich plays a fundamental role in mental balance and cognitive development. Children with a smartphone tend to use it late at night, often in secret. The screens, in particular the blue light they emit, disrupt the production of melatonin, the sleep hormone. Result: falling asleep, fragmented sleep, chronic fatigue. However, we know that the lack of sleep, repeated over several years, can worsen vulnerability to depression, irritability, impulsiveness and loss of concentration. This deprivation, invisible on a daily basis, ends up weakening the mental defenses in the long term.
Finally, the study evokes a series of emotional and behavioral disorders directly linked to this premature digital exhibition. The use of very young smartphone is associated with greater emotional instability in adolescence, with symptoms such as aggressiveness, a difficulty in managing frustration, or a progressive detachment of reality. These children, over-stimulated from an early age, seem to develop fewer skills in emotional regulation and classical socialization. They can become more anxious, less capable of weaving stable relationships, or more inclined to risk behaviors.
What strikes is that These observations are universal. The study, conducted in 175 countries, reveals similar patterns, which young people live in Paris, Cairo, Buenos Aires or Seoul. It is not a cultural or economic phenomenon, but a global reality linked to the way in which children access connected technologies, and to the age at which they are exposed to it without clear supervision.
Why this concerns the whole of society
The smartphone delivered too early acts as A psychic vulnerability accelerator. At an age when the brain is still in full construction, this permanent exposure to digital creates a fertile ground for emotional weakening. And this phenomenon does not only concern children or their parents: it directly challenges the whole of society, because The effects are visible in the long term, and often irreversible.
Faced with this observation, the researchers do not hesitate to formulate strong recommendations. One of the first measures envisaged would belegally supervise the age of access to the smartphonelike what already exists for alcohol or tobacco. The idea of prohibiting, or at least to firmly discourage acquisition of a smartphone before the age of 13returns more and more frequently in the debates. It is based on the Precautionary principlefaced with a powerful tool whose effects are still too underestimated by adults.
Another measure deemed priority concerns Social networks. The study pleads for a Minimum access age Fixed at 16 years, in order to reduce early exposure to anxiety, sexualized or violent content, but also to the constant social pressure that reigns over these platforms. This exhibition, often suffered by children still incapable of putting into perspective what they see, feeds anxiety, mood disorders and feeling of devaluation.
But beyond regulation, it is also Digital education which must be redesigned. It is not simply a question of banning, butSupport, to train, to explain. Researchers insist on the need to strengthen digital literature from an early age. Teaching children to recognize manipulation, to identify reliable information, to manage their screen time: these are essential skills which, in the long term, protect as much as any restriction.
In Francerecommendations like The so-called “3-6-9-12” rule have already laid simple benchmarks to guide digital uses depending on age. But they remain little known, little applied, and rarely supported by concrete public policies. This is why many experts also plead for A real charter of disconnection at schoolwhich would offer a clear and shared framework on the use of digital technology in an educational environment.
In this context, it becomes obvious that the question of the early smartphone goes beyond the family setting. She questions Our collective responsibilities FAce to tools designed to capture attention from an early age. What the study highlights is that in the absence of serious safeguards, Smartphone can become a lasting imbalance factornot the emancipation tool that we hoped for.
What parents must remember
- Delay the first smartphone as much as possibleideally beyond 13 years.
- Strictly supervise uses If the child has one (limited time, not in the room at night, regular discussions, etc.).
- Remove access to social networks up to at least 16 years.
- Promote safe communication alternatives (basic telephone, supervised applications, children’s watch).
- Establish a real dialogueraise awareness of digital literature, prevention of exhibition and respect for yourself and others.
