U.S. Study Links Early Smartphone Ownership to Increased Eating Disorder Symptoms in Adolescents
A new study published in JAMA Network Open reveals a significant correlation between smartphone ownership at age 12 and the development of eating disorder symptoms by age 14 among U.S. adolescents. The research, which analyzed data from nearly 9,000 adolescents, found that 70% of 12-year-olds owned their own smartphone. Of these, 24% reported at least one eating disorder symptom two years later, compared to less than 16% of teens who did not own a smartphone at age 12. Dr. Jason Nagata, the study's lead author and an associate professor of pediatrics at the University of California, San Francisco, explained that smartphones expose young people to a vast amount of appearance-focused content, which can foster unhealthy eating behaviors. Kids with smartphones at 12 were twice as likely to link their self-worth to their weight and 1.5 times more likely to attempt weight control through methods like low-calorie diets or excessive exercise. The study suggests that while most major social media platforms set a mi...
