The study indicated that young individuals (18–24) who started using smartphones early had worse mental health, with women being more adversely impacted than men.
According to a recent global study by Sapien Labs, a nonprofit organisation with headquarters in Washington, the later toddlers and teenagers get smartphones, the better off they may be mentally as adults.
The study also made clear that young female smartphone users experienced greater negative effects than young male users.
The study, “Age of First Smartphone and Mental Well-being Outcomes,” looked at the mental health of today’s 18 to 24-year-olds. This was in connection to the age at which they first acquired their own smartphone or tablet.
The study is a component of Sapien Labs’ continuing Global Mind Project, a study of mental health around the world that seeks to comprehend and improve human potential.
The conclusions are based on data gathered from 27,969 18–24-year-olds, primarily from 41 countries in North America, Europe, Latin America, Oceania, South Asia, and Africa, between January and April of this year.
These findings show that there are long-term advantages in mental well-being for each year that a youngster waits to obtain a smartphone, according to a statement from Dr. Tara Thiagarajan, the founder of Sapien Labs.
In order to reverse the downward trends scientists have been tracking, it is crucial that humanity continue to investigate this relationship and seek to create efficient policies and treatments that can support healthy mental growth in the digital age.