A study reveals: children who own a phone before the age of 12 cause these diseases!
YNP:
A large study of more than 10,000 American teenagers has found a worrying association between smartphone ownership at an early age and a higher risk of developing serious health problems.
The results showed that children who own a smartphone before the age of twelve are at greater risk of depression, obesity and sleep disorders than their peers who do not own these devices.
These results, published in a specialized scientific journal, reinforce previous warnings about the impact of technology on the psychological and physical health of emerging generations.
According to the study, overseen by researchers at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and the Universities of California and Columbia, these health problems are in turn risk factors for the development of life-threatening chronic diseases such as heart disease, cancer and diabetes.
For his part, Dr. Ran Barzilai, child psychiatrist and principal supervisor of the study, explained: “Our results indicate the need to treat smartphones as a factor influencing adolescent health and to be patient in the decision to give a smartphone to a child while evaluating the potential repercussions on their development and health.
The study, which draws on data from the Cognitive Brain Development of Adolescents study – the largest of its kind in the United States – also found that teens who bought their phones between the ages of 12 and 13 had higher rates of psychological problems and poor sleep by age 13.
“We are not claiming that smartphones are harmful to all adolescents, but we recommend carefully considering the balance between health benefits and risks before making a decision,” Barzilai added.
The researchers recommended that families follow preventive measures that include setting clear conditions for phone use, establishing rules for its use during meals, during homework and before bed, in addition to adjusting privacy and content settings.
Barzilai emphasized the importance of “devoting time without smart devices to engaging in physical activity that protects against obesity and improves mental health.”
The research team plans to continue the study by analyzing the types of apps and usage patterns that have the greatest impact on health, with a focus on the under-ten age group, in which smartphone ownership rates are rapidly increasing.