A new study warns of a concerning rise in aggression, anger, and hallucinations among adolescents in the U.S. and India, linking the trend to children acquiring smartphones at younger ages.
The report, published by the nonprofit Sapien Labs, analyzed data from 10,475 adolescents aged 13-17, split evenly between the two countries.
Researchers found that early smartphone use correlates with deteriorating mental health, increased aggression, and a growing sense of detachment from reality.
The researchers urge parents to delay giving smartphones to children until at least 8th grade or age 13, allowing more time for social development and reducing tendencies toward anger and aggression.
“Swift action is needed to safeguard younger generations from a future marked by increased anger, aggression, and violence,” the report states.
The study highlights a “generational decline” in mental health, with younger generations reporting worse psychological well-being than previous ones.
The researchers noted that, in past decades, well-being followed a U-shaped curve—high in youth and old age, with a dip in middle age. However, recent data suggests this curve has collapsed, with each successively younger generation showing worse mental health outcomes.
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In other words: Teens aged 13-17 report worse mental health than; Young adults aged 18-24, who report worse mental health than and Adults aged 25-34, and so on.
The trend is particularly severe among teenage girls, with 65% of adolescent females experiencing distress at clinically concerning levels.
Additionally, 13-year-olds reported significantly higher levels of aggression, hallucinations, anger, and irritability compared to 17-year-olds, suggesting that these issues are becoming more pronounced in younger adolescents.
The report attributes this rise in aggression and mental health struggles to the declining age at which children are given smartphones.
Statistical analysis found that once researchers controlled for the age a teen received their first phone, age-related differences in aggression, anger, and irritability disappeared. This suggests that early smartphone use plays a significant role in shaping adolescent mental health.
“With more children getting their first smartphone at a younger age, these findings predict an increasingly violent future for society,” the authors warned.
Some experts argue that radiofrequency (RF) radiation from smartphones could also be affecting children’s cognitive function. Critics of the study point out that it does not address the potential impact of electromagnetic radiation (EMR).
Miriam Eckenfels, director of the Children’s Health Defense (CHD) EMR & Wireless Program, emphasized that “the RF radiation of the devices themselves is just as harmful as the content that the user engages with.”
The study’s findings raise urgent questions about how society should regulate early smartphone access. While more research is needed, the evidence suggests that delaying phone use in children could help curb the alarming rise in aggression, anxiety, and detachment from reality.
With the mental health of future generations at stake, researchers urge parents, educators, and policymakers to take immediate action before the crisis deepens further.