Does getting a smartphone in your teens lead you to depression or obesity?

Embargoed until: Publicly released: 2026-06-09 01:00

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US researchers say 13-year-olds who have been given a smartphone are not more likely to end up depressed or overweight, though they might be more sleepy. This comes with a caveat, say the researchers, which is that while getting the phone doesn't seem to be linked to these issues, the amount of time they use it is. The team looked into data from 1959 teens who received a smartphone when they were 13, and followed up with them at age 14. They only found that having a phone was linked to insufficient sleep when they were 14, and it was the overall time on their smartphones that was linked to all three conditions: depression, obesity and not enough sleep. The team recommends that teens put their phones outside of the bedroom to assist with their sleep, and limiting their overall use could help with weight management and depression.