Smartphones at 12 Linked to Eating Disorder Symptoms by 14

A study in JAMA Network Open analyzing thousands of US adolescents found that those who owned a smartphone by age 12 were more likely to report eating disorder symptoms by 14 — 24% versus 16% among those without a phone. Among 12-year-old phone owners, binge-eating was the most common symptom at 9%.

• 70% of survey participants already owned a smartphone at age 12
• By 14, 24% of early phone owners reported eating disorder symptoms versus 16% of others
• 12-year-old phone owners were twice as likely to tie self-worth to weight
• They were 50% more likely to offset weight gain with exercise or vomiting