Here’s the right age to give your child a cell phone, according to experts
May 26, 2023 at 2:00 PM GMT+5
Low angle view of boy looking at digital tablet while lying with sisters using mobile phone on bed at home
You may want to hold off on buying your kid a smartphone.
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Earlier this week, U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy declared that social media poses a “meaningful risk of harm to children” in his latest advisory. Now, a global study of nearly 30,000 young adults shows a strong correlation between the age at which children receive their first smartphone and the status of their mental health. The study also found that trends of lower self-worth, motivation and resilience were stronger among females compared to males Researchers determined that the older children were when they received their first smartphone or tablet, the better their mental well-being was as adults. However, those who received their first smartphone at a younger age were “more likely to experience suicidal thoughts, feelings of aggression towards others and a sense of being detached from reality.”
The study, which was conducted by Sapien Labs as part of the Global Mind Project, an ongoing survey of global mental well-being, used a comprehensive assessment called the Mental Health Quotient, or MHQ, to determine mental well-being. The assessment includes 47 elements covering a range of symptoms and mental capabilities, which are then categorized into six dimensions of well-being
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