[Sportschosun, Jang Jong-ho] Adolescents who received their own smartphones at age 12, around the upper elementary school years, were more likely than their peers without smartphones to report symptoms related to eating disorders, including anorexia and bulimia, two years later. Early exposure through smartphones to content focused on appearance and weight may increase dissatisfaction with one's body or lead to an obsession with weight.
Researchers at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) recently published a study in the medical journal JAMA Network Open analyzing the association between the age at which U.S. adolescents acquired smartphones and eating-disorder symptoms.
The researchers used data from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study (ABCD Study), a long-term project involving the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and other organizations. Among the participants, 6,225 adolescents, or 69.5% of the total, had their own smartphones at age 12.
Follow-up analysis showed that adolescents who had smartphones at age 12 were 49% more likely than those without smartphones to report at least one eating-disorder symptom at age 14. They were also 67% more likely to show binge-eating symptoms and 50% more likely to engage in inappropriate compensatory behaviors to prevent weight gain. They were nearly twice as likely to link their self-worth to their weight.
Among the participants, approximately 24.2% of those who had smartphones at age 12 reported at least one eating-disorder symptom at age 14. By comparison, 15.5% of those who did not have smartphones at age 12 reported one or more symptoms.
The eating-disorder symptoms defined by the researchers included binge eating, inappropriate compensatory behaviors such as vomiting or excessive exercise to prevent weight gain, excessive concern about gaining weight, and behaviors involving linking one's self-worth to one's weight.
The researchers noted that smartphones can serve as more than simple communication devices; they can also provide access to content focused on appearance. During puberty, adolescents tend to become more concerned about their bodies and appearance and are more likely to compare themselves with their peers. Because social media presents influencers' photos in selected, edited, and filtered forms, such exposure may contribute to dissatisfaction with one's appearance or low self-esteem.
However, this study alone cannot establish that smartphones are a direct cause of eating-disorder symptoms. The researchers said further studies are needed to examine how the age at which smartphone use begins, social media exposure, sleep, and body image affect eating-disorder symptoms.
Jang Jong-ho, Reporter bellho@sportschosun.com
This article has been translated by GripLabs Mingo AI.
