A JAMA Network Open study of 8,957 U.S. adolescents led by Dr. Jason M. Nagata reveals that owning a smartphone at age 12 is associated with a significantly higher risk of eating disorder symptoms, including binge eating and tying self-worth to weight. By age 14, nearly 24.2% of early smartphone owners reported experiencing at least one eating disorder symptom. Researchers suggest that unsupervised, 24/7 access to appearance-focused digital content and sleep disruption may drive these behaviors during a highly vulnerable developmental window.
Study findings on eating disorder risks
- ▪A cohort study led by Dr. Jason M. Nagata found owning a smartphone at age 12 was associated with a 1.36-fold higher prevalence of any eating disorder symptom, 1.61-fold for binge eating, and 2.21-fold for linking self-worth to weight.
- ▪By age 14, nearly 24.2% of adolescents who owned a smartphone at age 12 reported experiencing at least one eating disorder symptom.
- ▪Owning a smartphone at age 12 predicted a 1.67-fold higher risk of binge eating and a 1.50-fold higher risk of using inappropriate compensatory behaviors at age 14.
Prevalence of adolescent smartphone ownership
- ▪Adolescents who owned a smartphone at age 12 were more likely to be female, Black, Hispanic, from lower-income households, and at a more advanced stage of puberty.
- ▪A study of 8,957 U.S. adolescents found that 69.5% owned a personal smartphone by age 12.
- ▪Approximately 95% of adolescents in the United States currently have access to a smartphone.
Effects of sleep disruption from device use
- ▪Nighttime smartphone use can disrupt sleep, which is linked to altered appetite regulation and heightened emotional reactivity in adolescents.
- ▪Disrupted sleep from digital device use may encourage unhealthy coping behaviors and stressful digital experiences in early adolescence.
Debatable claims
- ▪Observational studies are sufficient to justify public health warnings about smartphones
- ▪Government regulation of adolescent social media access is justified by mental health risks
- ▪Early smartphone ownership is a primary driver of adolescent eating disorders
- ▪Parents should delay giving children personal smartphones until after age 12
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