Kids who get smartphones at 12 show higher signs of disordered eating by 14, study warns, raising fresh concerns about body image and social media

Kids who own a smartphone at age 12 are more likely to show signs of disordered eating by 14 than peers who do not have their own devices. A new study published in JAMA Network Open looked at nearly 9,000 adolescents across the United States and found a clear difference. The research adds to growing concern about how early phone use may shape body image and eating habits during a sensitive stage of development.What the numbers revealResearchers drew on data from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study. About 70 percent of the 12-year-olds already owned their own phone. Two years later, 24 percent of those teens reported at least one eating disorder symptom. Among teens who did not have a smartphone at 12, the figure was less than 16 percent.According to CNN Dr. Jason Nagata, the study’s lead author and an associate professor of pediatrics at the University of California, San Francisco, noted that a smartphone can place a world of appearance-focused content directly in a young person’s pocket. The difference in outcomes suggests that the age at which a child receives a phone may matter as much as how much time is spent on it.Why the tween years are especially sensitivePuberty brings rapid changes in the body and in how young people see themselves. Comparisons with peers are common and natural. Before smartphones, those comparisons mostly happened face to face.With a phone, the reference points expand to include influencers whose images are often curated, edited and filtered. Nagata explained that this kind of comparison can increase body dissatisfaction and lower self-esteem. He said “and then that can be a risk factor for eating disorders.”Kids who had phones at 12 were twice as likely to link their self-worth to their weight and one and a half times more likely to try controlling their weight through low-calorie eating or intense exercise.The wider digital contextAround 22 percent of children and adolescents worldwide show signs of disordered eating, according to broader research estimates. The line between disordered eating and a formal eating disorder often comes down to severity and whether diagnostic criteria are met. Both can involve fixation on food and weight, distorted body image, restricted eating or compensatory behaviors.Most major social media platforms set 13 as the minimum age for accounts, yet earlier work by Nagata’s team found that nearly two-thirds of 11- and 12-year-olds already have profiles on platforms such as TikTok and Instagram. Screen time in general has been linked to other concerns, including lower self-worth and depression. This latest study focused specifically on the timing of phone ownership rather than total hours of use.What parents can doThe research does not offer a single ideal age for giving a child a smartphone. Dr. Mitch Prinstein, the John Vans Seters Distinguished Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience, at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and co-director of the Winston Center on Technology and Brain Development, who was not involved in the study, has noted that delaying access by six months or a year appears to support better mental health outcomes. When phones do arrive, he suggests gradual exposure to social media rather than unrestricted access.Nagata recommended practical steps: limit the apps that can be downloaded, keep phones out of bedrooms, set clear ground rules, and keep conversations open about what children see online. Parents should also watch for changes in how kids talk about their bodies or how they approach food. Simple family moments, such as meals without phones, can become natural times to discuss digital habits. Staying involved in a child’s online world remains one of the most useful ways to reduce risk during these formative years.Get the latest movie news, reviews, and celebrity updates. Download the TOI App.