What does the age of getting the first mobile phone have to do with your mental health?

Using smartphones can sometimes cause stress, anxiety and negativity in us. Recently, a study went into this to find out what effect mobile phone use had on the mental health of those who got mobile at a younger age compared to those who got access to it later.

to report Wireda global study by Sapien Labs on 27,969 Young Adult shows that the age when children get their first phone or tablet has a high correlation with their mental health status in adulthood. This research on people between 18 to 24 years old has been focused.

In this study, the researchers took their data through 47 different elements, including symptoms and mental abilities, and then evaluated them through the “Mental Health Quotient” (MHQ) and Dimensional scores.

The later children get cell phones, the better their mental health will be

In the end, it became clear that people who bought their first phone or tablet in older age had received, in adult status Better mental health they had. They were particularly better in terms of “social self,” which includes elements such as self-confidence and positive relationships.

On the other hand, those who have their first phone young ages had taken, more likely to encounter thoughts related to Suicide, aggression And Separation from reality They were facing each other. These patterns were seen more in girls than boys, but geographically, these patterns were the same in all regions of the world.

These findings suggest that the long-term effect of childhood phone exposure goes beyond symptoms of depression or anxiety and affects mental health in unique ways. As the age of access to phones around the world decreases, it is obvious that Social capacity And flexibility He observed people with an increased tendency to commit suicide and aggression.

Tara Thiagarajan, senior researcher of this research, says: “These findings show that every one year of delay in getting a phone in childhood can be associated with improved mental health in the long term. “It is important that we continue to study this relationship and develop effective policies and interventions to help support mental health in the digital age and reverse the downward trend we have observed.”

This research, of course, emphasizes that it is not possible to conduct definitive tests to detect a direct relationship between the use of the phone and its effects; Because it is morally impossible to force children to use mobile phones.