In the ongoing debate over the benefits and harms of smartphone use in children, initial data from a US survey suggests the devices can actually improve well-being and social connections, but social media use may be more harmful
By Chris Stokel-Walker
25 March 2025
Smartphones can help children socialise
AYO Production/Shutterstock
A survey of more than 1500 children suggests that smartphones can be beneficial to their mental and social well-being – unless they start using social media.
Justin Martin at the University of South Florida surveyed children between the ages of 11 and 13 in the state to open a 25-year nationwide study to explore the link between digital media and well-being.
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The researchers found that 78 per cent of the 1510 children surveyed owned a smartphone, and that of these, 21 per cent reported symptoms of depression and anxiety, compared with 26 per cent of those without a device. The children with phones were also more likely to report spending more time in person with friends.
“We thought that smartphone ownership would be associated with negative outcomes or negative measures,” says Martin. “But that wasn’t the case.”
The researchers found that children with parents on lower incomes were more likely to own a smartphone than those with richer parents. The highest prevalence of smartphone ownership, at 87 per cent, was found in children living in households earning between $50,000 and $90,000, while just 67 per cent of children in households earning $150,000 or more owned a smartphone.