Some actual good news about tweens and phones
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Illustration: Lindsey Bailey/Axios
Smartphone use was associated with positive mental health outcomes in a new University of South Florida study that surveyed 1,500 11-to-13-year-olds in Florida.
Why it matters: This is a rare finding in a feed of messages about how screens are poisoning kids' minds.
What they found: Children with smartphones were more likely to feel good about themselves and spend time with friends — and less likely to report depression symptoms — compared to kids without phones.
- Between the lines: Income doesn't explain the differences. According to the study, kids in wealthier homes were less likely to own a smartphone than those from low-income homes.
What they're saying: "We went into this study expecting to find what many researchers, teachers and other observers assume: smartphone ownership is harmful to children," said Justin D. Martin, USF media ethics chair and lead researcher on the project.
- "Not only was that not the case, most of the time we found the opposite — that owning a smartphone was associated with positive outcomes."
Yes, but: The study also found that how kids use phones matters, particularly when it comes to social media posting.
- Children who posted often were twice as likely as those who never or rarely posted to have symptoms of anxiety and sleeping issues.
- There's a growing body of research that suggests social media is a big reason teens are stressed and depressed.
The takeaway: Researchers recommend that parents steer kids away from sleeping with a smartphone and posting publicly on Instagram and TikTok.
- But a phone at age 11? Not a problem in and of itself, per the report.
What's next: Informed by this survey (which was conducted last November and December) researchers will study 8,000 young people and track their well-being and digital device use over the next 25 years.
