Early Smartphone Ownership Linked to Higher Eating Disorder Risk in Children
- Children who own smartphones by the age of 12 face a higher risk of developing eating disorders during adolescence compared to peers who do not own the devices,...
- The study examined data from a widely cited cognitive development survey tracking thousands of children and teenagers across the United States.
- By the age of 14, approximately 24 percent of the adolescents who received smartphones at age 12 reported having at least one eating disorder symptom.
Early Smartphone Ownership and Adolescent Eating Disorders
Children who own smartphones by the age of 12 face a higher risk of developing eating disorders during adolescence compared to peers who do not own the devices, according to a study published in the journal JAMA Network Open. Researchers analyzing a cognitive development survey of thousands of US children found that early digital access exposes young people to appearance-focused content that significantly impacts body image and mental health.
The study examined data from a widely cited cognitive development survey tracking thousands of children and teenagers across the United States. Researchers found that 70 percent of study participants—representing more than 6,200 adolescents—already owned a smartphone by the time they reached 12 years of age. Among this group of 12-year-old phone owners, nine percent reported binge-eating, which emerged as the most common eating disorder symptom.
By the age of 14, approximately 24 percent of the adolescents who received smartphones at age 12 reported having at least one eating disorder symptom. In contrast, those figures were notably lower among children who did not receive a phone during their tween years. Among the non-smartphone-owning cohort, only 16 percent reported eating disorder symptoms by age 14.
Jason Nagata, an adolescent medicine specialist at the University of California San Francisco and lead author of the study, explained the mechanism behind the findings to CNN. A smartphone can put a world of appearance-focused content in a young person’s pocket,
Nagata told CNN, adding that devices expose youth to images and messages that foster unhealthy eating behaviors. It’s important for parents to be aware that getting a smartphone isn’t just about the device. It can change a child’s access to different content and exposures in the digital world.
Social Media Exposure and Self-Worthy Tied to Weight
The study points to social media exposure as the primary driver behind the increase in disordered eating symptoms. Children in the survey who owned smartphones at age 12 were twice as likely to tie their self-worth to their weight compared to non-owners. They were also 50 percent more likely to attempt to offset weight gain through excessive exercise or disordered behaviors such as self-induced vomiting.
When you’re comparing yourself to influencers whose images are curated, edited and filtered,
Nagata told CNN, that can lead to more body dissatisfaction and poor self-esteem, and then that can be a risk factor for eating disorders.
The findings align with broader concerns regarding screen time. The underlying survey previously established a link between each additional hour of screen time and an elevated risk of eating disorder symptoms, alongside a greater tendency to tie self-worth to body weight. However, the new research distinguishes itself by focusing specifically on the age at which children begin using mobile devices.
Implications for Parental Timing and Adolescent Mental Health
The research suggests that delaying access to smartphones, even by a relatively short window, could provide meaningful mental health protections for developing adolescents. Mitch Prinstein, a professor of psychology and neuroscience at the University of North Carolina who was not involved in the study, told CNN that emerging research indicates an effective delay could range from six months to a year.