# Smartphones at 12 Linked to Eating Disorders

> Kids with smartphones by 12 face higher eating disorder risks.
- Title: Smartphones at 12 Linked to Eating Disorders · Futurism
- Summary: Kids with smartphones by 12 face higher eating disorder risks. Twelve-year-olds with smartphones are twice as likely to tie self-worth to weight and report…
- Keywords: smartphone, eating disorder, self-worth, weight, jama network open, adolescent medicine, science, technology, Smartphones, Linked, Eating, Disorders
- Source: Futurism — https://futurism.com/health-medicine/horryfing-research-12-year-old-smartphones
- Author: Frank Landymore
- Published: 2026-09-29T13:49:06+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: smartphone, eating disorder, self-worth, weight, jama network open, adolescent medicine, science, technology
## New Research Finds
A study in JAMA Network Open shows 12-year-olds with smartphones face higher eating disorder risks.

> A smartphone can put a world of appearance-focused content in a young person’s pocket
## Key Finding
70% of 12-year-olds surveyed owned smartphones, with 24% reporting eating disorder symptoms by 14.
## Social Media Impact
Kids with smartphones at 12 were twice as likely to tie self-worth to weight.

> When you’re comparing yourself to influencers whose images are curated, edited and filtered
## Why It Matters
Early smartphone exposure links to body dissatisfaction and poor self-esteem.
## What Happens Next
Delaying smartphone access by six months to a year could improve mental health.
## Key takeaway

Twelve-year-olds with smartphones are twice as likely to tie self-worth to weight and report eating disorder symptoms by 14.