"Children's brains grow very rapidly between ages 5 and 12," said Dr. Rishika Sharma, a board-certified pediatrician in Tulare County. "That is the stage when they are developing their attention control."
Doctors say that giving a child a smartphone in those early years could carry potential health risks. A new study in the medical journal Pediatrics looked at over 10,000 kids who got a smartphone before age 12.
It found that kids with a cellphone before that age were found to be at higher risk of depression, obesity, and lack of sleep.
"They do not have the maturity to process the emotional content that they can encounter online," said Dr. Sharma.
Doctors warn that early exposure can also lead to anxiety or even emotional outbursts. It can even impact their attention span.
"When kids are doing this fast scrolling, they're getting these notifications, there are these bright animations," said Dr. Sharma. "It gives them rapid dopamine hits. Those dopamine hits train the brain to expect constant stimulation."
Dr. Sharma Board tells Action News that getting a smartphone at a young age can affect social skills and interactions with their peers.
"They don't learn eye contact," said Dr. Sharma. "They don't learn how to read facial expressions or manage disagreements."
She adds it can also be hard to make friends. But what is the best age to give your child a smartphone? Dr. Sharma recommends waiting until middle school.
"So there are evidence-based recommendations on when you can start exposing it to them," said. Dr. Sharma. "I, as a pediatrician, always tell parents when they come to me for their well-child checks to delay the smartphones until at least 12 to 14 years of age."
Doctors say that by holding off on smartphones at a young age, it can protect a child's overall well-being and set them up for success in the classroom.
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