Smartphones hurt teens

A study released yesterday shows that smartphones are making our kids tired, fat and miserable. Led by the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, the University of California–Berkeley and Columbia University in New York, the study analyzed National Institutes of Health data from more than 10,500 youths between 2018 and 2020. It found that the younger a child is when getting a smartphone, the higher his risk for depression, obesity and sleeplessness, even “clinical-level psychopathology.” Though 95 percent of teens ages 13 to 17 have a smartphone, this is another clear warning to parents to buck that trend—and to all adults of the need for self-control. Phone-induced depression, obesity and poor sleep can be a problem at any age.