By Gavin Boyle
A new study revealed smartphone use actually has a positive benefit for some kids, especially those who have grown up around technology and are now entering their teen years.
“We went into this study expecting to find what many researchers, teachers and other observers assume: smartphone ownership is harmful to children. Not only was that not the case, most of the time we found the opposite — that owning a smartphone was associated with positive outcomes,” said Justin D. Martin, the lead researcher on the project coming out of the University of Southern Florida (USF).
“Our findings indicate that the effects of smartphone ownership are complicated,” added USF associate professor of psychology, Wendy Rote. “It’s what kids do with cell phones and challenges in regulating their device use, rather than merely owning a smartphone that may cause difficulties or, inversely, benefit their lives.”
The study found that children with smartphones were less likely to experience depression or anxiety, more likely to spend time in-person with friends and had higher self esteem than those without phones.
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However, as the researchers noted, there is nuance to their findings. While smartphone ownership had positives, engaging in certain activities caused negatives to creep in. For example, children who publicly post on social media were twice as likely to report severe anxiety and depression than those who post privately, while those who were allowed to use their phones in bed were more likely to get less sleep than they need.
This study opens the door to a wide range of future studies which could help guide parents on the activities they should and should not allow their kids to engage with when online. Until then, parents should follow previous research which points towards numerous negatives associated with allowing young brains excessive screen time.
Screens are especially bad for babies and toddlers as high screen time within those age groups have been linked to drawbacks that include slower speech development, slower cognitive function, delayed brain development and more. Meanwhile, high screen time for teens has also been linked with multiple negatives that include higher rates of anxiety and depression, less peace and difficulty sleeping. Furthermore, in May of 2023, the U.S. Surgeon General, Vivek Murthy, suggested Congress enact a Surgeon General’s warning on social media because of the proven negative impact is has on teen brains.
All of this research points to the fact that our devices can have a negative impact on our wellbeing when used inappropriately. However, rather than just throwing it all away, the new study from USF reveals the positive impact it can have as well. Going forward, the struggle will be to use the technology correctly, rather than allowing it to ruin our lives.
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