Scientists have pointed to the high risk of RPP when receiving a phone at an early age.

Early access to a personal smartphone was associated with a higher prevalence of certain symptoms of eating disorders in adolescents. The most noticeable differences related to overeating, attitudes towards one's own weight, and behaviors aimed at preventing weight gain. About how the early appearance of a smartphone may be associated with eating disorders in adolescents, see the Izvestia article.

A smartphone at the age of 12: What the researchers found

The study was published in the scientific journal JAMA Network Open. The researchers analyzed data from 8957 adolescents from 21 research centers. They participated in a long-term project to study the brain development and health of children.

By the age of 12, 69.5% of the participants had a personal smartphone. The researchers compared teenagers who already owned a personal gadget with those who did not have one. The researchers assessed the symptoms of RPP, including episodes of overeating, unhealthy ways to prevent weight gain, concerns about its possible increase, and the dependence of self-esteem on body weight.

Smartphone owners at the age of 12 were 36% more likely to report at least one of the symptoms studied. At the same time, the most noticeable association was observed with episodes of overeating and weight dependence of self-esteem. It is important that the study shows a statistical relationship, but does not prove that smartphone ownership causes the development of eating disorders.

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Overeating and self-esteem: what differences were noticed among teenagers

At the age of 12, teenagers who owned smartphones were 61% more likely to report symptoms of overeating than their peers without their own device. The relationship between self-esteem and body weight was even more different: smartphone owners were more than twice as likely to associate self-worth with weight.

The researchers also found differences between girls and boys. Girls who had a personal smartphone were more likely to report concerns about possible weight gain. The authors note that early adolescence may be of particular importance for such symptoms: during this period, the body changes, the importance of peer assessment increases, and self-regulation skills are still being formed.

Two years have passed, but the connection has been preserved

The researchers re-assessed the condition of the participants at the age of 14, which made it possible to compare the indicators two years after the initial assessment. Smartphone ownership at age 12 was associated with a higher likelihood of multiple symptoms of RPP at age 14. The risk of overeating symptoms was 67% higher, and the probability of using inappropriate compensatory methods to prevent weight gain was 50% higher.

Thus, the relationship was observed not only when assessing the condition of adolescents at the time of the study, but also during follow-up. At the same time, the authors emphasize the need to further study the mechanisms that may be behind the discovered dependence.

Social Media and Appearance: Why a Smartphone can matter

The researchers suggest several possible explanations for the discovered connection. A personal smartphone gives a teenager constant and relatively independent access to social networks and other digital content.

The algorithms of such platforms can regularly offer materials related to appearance, body, nutrition, and physical activity. Constantly comparing yourself to other people can increase concern about your own appearance, especially during early adolescence.

Scientists call the use of a smartphone at night another possible factor. Sleep disorders can affect appetite regulation and emotional state. In addition, stressful or disturbing content has the potential to influence the ways teenagers deal with negative emotions.

However, these mechanisms were not directly tested in the study. The researchers did not study which apps the teens used, how much time they spent on their smartphones, or what content they viewed.

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Smartphone is not necessarily the reason: what remains unknown for now

The results obtained do not allow us to assert that early smartphone ownership in itself causes symptoms of RPP. The researchers found a link between the age of receiving a personal device and subsequent indicators, but other factors could also influence them.

In particular, the researchers did not directly assess the content of the digital content that teenagers were exposed to and the specifics of smartphone use. Therefore, it is not yet possible to determine whether the fact of ownership of the device or the social networks associated with it, the nature of the content, the duration of use, and other circumstances matter.

The authors believe that further research should help establish the mechanisms of the discovered connection and determine exactly how important the age of the first smartphone is.