A decade later, I still wonder if I should have given my daughters a smartphone

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I still think about the dilemma I faced as a parent about whether to give my kids a smartphone, even though it’s been a decade since then.

When they were in middle school, my daughters longed for these magical devices. They stated that they would become social outcasts without phones because “everyone else has them”. The other adults also seemed to be on their side. Some parents insisted that phones were a “safety” device, enabling children in need to call for help. The turning point came when an attorney I know noted that it was good for kids like mine, whose parents had separated, to have a phone to keep in touch with the parent who wasn’t there. Eventually, I put my qualms aside and gave in.

I’ve often wondered if I’ve made a mistake, and this week I discovered a new reason to worry. A group called Sapien Labs, which studies mental health, surveyed nearly 28,000 young people between the ages of 18 and 24. Part of Gen Z, Sapien describes this cohort as “the first generation to go through adolescence with this technology.” Unsurprisingly, this research shows that Gen Z’s mental state is worse than previous generations. As psychologist Jean Twenge observes GenerationsTeen mental health has deteriorated dramatically over the past decade, the period after smartphones went mainstream. Covid-19 has exacerbated the problem, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Most interestingly, however, Sapien tracked the age at which respondents first got cell phones and compared it to their reported mental health. This showed a clear pattern: Children who received phones at a young age had worse mental health, even after adjusting to reported incidents of childhood trauma. The share of women experiencing mental health problems ranged from 74% for those who received their first smartphone at age six to 46% who received it at age 18. For males, the numbers were 42% and 36%.

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The pattern was particularly stark in one of six mental health categories, known as “social self,” which tracks how we see ourselves and relate to others. Sapien attributed this pattern not only to the increase in the use of technology but also to the decrease in interactions with others. “Given the statistics of five to eight hours a day spent online in childhood, we estimate this could displace 1,000 to 2,000 hours a year that would otherwise be spent in various face-to-face social interactions,” they write.

That’s before considering other impacts of technology, from the content kids can view online to cyberbullying and around-the-clock pressure to engage with social media. “A phone by itself isn’t dangerous, but a smartphone loaded with apps becomes a portal to God knows what,” says Jonathan Haidt, a psychology professor at New York University who has written extensively on these topics. “When a child has their smartphone and can use it as they please, you have serious problems with sleep deprivation and addiction.”

What are the solutions? Progress has been made on content as tech companies face increasing pressure to exercise some controls. YouTube recently partnered with the National Eating Disorders Association of America to limit harmful content. It also helps that a new generation of social media influencers, like Linda Sun and Natacha Océane, are promoting body positivity and anti-anorexia messages. But the toxic material remains widespread. And so far there is little debate on the issue I once wrestled with. Should we just ban younger children from using smartphones? Or at least suppress devices with internet access?

Some observers might say this is impossible or argue that one reason for the survey’s shocking results is that diagnoses and awareness of mental health are higher than before. Others may like to see the controls. Either way, Haidt thinks there is “a classic class action problem” that makes it difficult for parents or schools to enforce controls or limits on phone use without “centralized regulation.” She thinks, shall we say, schools should ask kids to leave their phones in lockers while they’re in class, but she knows parents might object because they fear they can’t “reach their child if something happens, like a school shooting.” “.

There are small signs of hope. A “wait til eighth grade” movement has emerged in Texas, with more than 45,000 families signing up. And the rules change, even if, as the history of tobacco shows, it took decades even with concrete evidence of the harm caused by cigarettes.

If you have small children, be prepared for the battle ahead. If only a genius entrepreneur could invent a dumb cell phone that would appeal to kids but without the addictive lure of the internet. It would be a true technological innovation.

Follow Gillian on Twitter @gilliantett and email her at gillian.tett@ft.com

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