Children’s Use of Cell Phones Criticized as Harmful

A recent study at the University of Georgia concludes that the earlier a child gets their first cell phone the more likely they are to internalize their social and psychological issues.

The study suggests that the use of electronic devices, like cell phones, can lead to more family conflict and to increased estrangement between children and parents.

The researchers analyzed data compiled from more than 11,000 families with children as young as nine. They found that by age 11, children who regularly viewed cell phones were more likely to engage in arguments and greater conflict with parents that continued through adolescence.

The lead author of the study, Cory Carvalho of UGA’s Human Development and Family Science Department, pointed out that children are being given phones and exploring social media at ages as young as 10 and often earlier, and it’s changing family dynamics.

“As kids are becoming differentiated from their parents because of these profound neurological and biological emotional changes,” Carvalho says, “we saw social media cause a variety of disagreements, trouble with resolution, fighting, and expressions of anger.”

This was particularly the case for young girls who used cell phones to develop more intense social relationships, often in ways that were unique for such a stage in their psychological development.

“We’re seeing typical adolescent development in a new, emerging digital area that is tough to deal with. Introducing a smartphone earlier in life is a risk,” said Kalsea Koss, co-author of the study and an associate professor at the university. “Parents may want to think about navigating when the best time to do that is. They have to be ready to set boundaries that everybody can get on board with and then enforce those.”

But communicating with children who increase their use of cellphones and social media as they mature may be more difficult, precisely because of that use. Parents may not be aware of serious problems that may be developing because young people often find more comfort and support on social media than they do at home.

“We know that there’s a robust association between adolescents internalizing symptoms of depression and anxiety and mental health in adulthood,” Carvalho said. “It’s really important to detect these things early on so that parents can intervene and mitigate against it.”

A study last July reported by Atlanta’s U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that “teenagers with higher non-schoolwork screen use were more likely to experience a series of adverse health outcomes” related to their physical and mental health.

Last year, a study by researchers at the University of Pennsylvania, the University of California Berkeley and Columbia University, published in the journal, “Pediatrics,” found that the odds of depression, were 31 percent higher in those who received their first cell phone before age 12. Obesity was 40 percent more likely in the group and insufficient sleep was 62 percent more prevalent. Those who owned a smartphone at age 13 were found to be 57 percent more likely to meet the diagnostic criteria for mental illness.

“Smartphone use contributes to fragmented attention, increased checking behaviors (which may impact relationships),” the study pointed out, “and extended use (particularly in the evenings), which may lead to both mental and physical health challenges and less sleep, especially during a period of development whereby many youth may not have sufficiently mature self-regulatory skills to make optimal choices regarding their smartphone use.”

Last year, the Georgia General Assembly passed the Distraction-Free Education Act, which takes effect in July. It prohibits the use of personal electronic devices during the school day in public schools grades K-8. Georgia is one of 22 states that have enacted legislation that restricts cell phone use. Prior to the recent legislative initiatives in 2025, only four states had laws or policies in place requiring local school boards to ban or limit cell phone use in classrooms.

Earlier this month, the Speaker of the Georgia House of Representatives, Jon Burns, told a news conference that the Georgia Legislature would consider further restriction on phones and other electronic devices. It was thought that the new legislation might restrict cell phone use in high schools.

The Jewish American social psychologist, Jonathan Heidt, has authored a recent best seller on the subject. It’s called, “The Anxious Generation: How The Great Rewiring of Childhood is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness.”

“Nowadays, in families across America, one of the biggest and most prevalent dynamics is fighting over technology.” Heidt said. “When you look at the wreckage of adolescent mental health and you look at increases in self-harm and suicide, I think we have to do something.”