Smartphones not good for preteens

NPR - Preteens who own smartphones are likelier to have depression, obesity and insufficient sleep than their peers, according to a new University of Pennsylvania-led study.Roughly half of American kids now own a smartphone by the time they turn 11.

Pediatric health groups have recommended appropriate screen time for youths, but there are no public health guidelines on the appropriate age for kids to first get a smartphone, the study says. 

What they found: Kids who owned a smartphone at age 12 were found to have about 31% higher odds of depression, 40% higher odds of obesity and 62% higher odds of insufficient sleep than their peers who didn't have one.

The researchers analyzed data from the NIH-supported Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study assessments conducted between 2016 and 2022. The study included responses from 10,588 youths.
  Kids who had smartphones were more likely to be female, Black or Hispanic, and from lower-income households. The findings will be published in a forthcoming issue of the journal Pediatrics.