2 months ago
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(NewsNation) — The question of erstwhile children should get smartphones and whether these devices are harmful has sparked statement for years, but caller probe from the University of South Florida challenges immoderate long-held assumptions.
Leading up to the study, researchers expected to find antagonistic outcomes tied to smartphone usage among children. Instead, they recovered smartphones whitethorn not beryllium arsenic damaging to kids’ mental health arsenic immoderate judge and could, successful fact, beryllium beneficial.
Children with cellphones may fare better
Researchers surveyed astir 1,500 mediate schoolhouse students, ages 11 to 13, asking astir their integer usage and lives, self-esteem and whether they dealt with anxiousness oregon depression.
Children with smartphones said they were much apt to walk clip with friends successful idiosyncratic and had higher self-esteem. They were besides little apt to accidental they felt depressed — 80% of smartphone owners said they weren't depressed, compared to conscionable 69% of non-owners, according to the data.
"It appears that conscionable arsenic adults need smartphones to person vibrant, thriving societal lives, kids bash arsenic good ... Seventy-eight percent of kids successful our survey had their ain smartphones, " said Justin Martin, a professor of media ethics astatine the University of South Florida. "The different 20 oregon truthful percent of kids apt consciousness excluded, they're much apt to beryllium cyberbullied, and they're benignant of near retired of the conversations."
Social media can lead to depression
The survey challenges past research, including a 2022 survey that linked predominant smartphone usage to poorer intelligence wellness successful children and teens.
That survey was criticized by some, including societal scientist Jonathan Haidt, writer of "The Anxious Generation," a publication connected the "rewiring of childhood" through smartphones, who called the survey flawed.
However, the Florida study's researchers acknowledged smartphone usage wasn't each positive.
They noted that definite activities, peculiarly posting connected societal media, were tied to accrued anxiousness and slump successful immoderate children.
Researchers said it’s not conscionable astir however overmuch surface clip kids are getting — it’s astir what they’re doing connected their phones and however those interactions impact them.
