Two large studies published in 2025 found that the younger children were when they got one, the more likely they were to have problems with sleep, weight and mental health. A phone that only calls and texts is a different decision, and at 10 it’s often the right one.
What does the research say?
That earlier is worse. In December 2025 researchers at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia published a study of more than 10,000 American children in Pediatrics. At 12, those who owned a smartphone were more likely to be depressed, overweight and short of sleep than those who didn’t. The earlier they’d got it, the higher the risk of obesity and poor sleep. Children who got their first smartphone between 12 and 13 had worse mental health and sleep a year later than those who still didn’t have one.
In July 2025 Sapien Labs, a US research organisation, published data from more than 100,000 18- to 24-year-olds around the world. The younger they’d been when they got their first smartphone, the worse their mental health as young adults. Getting on social media early explained a large part of it.
Neither study proves the phone caused the harm. Families who hand over a smartphone at 10 may differ in other ways. But both point the same way: each year earlier, the picture got worse.
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Does a first phone have to be a smartphone?
No, and at 10 it usually shouldn’t be. Most 10-year-olds who want a phone need one of two things: a way for you to reach them, or a way to keep up with friends. A basic phone that only calls and texts does the first, costs little and lasts days on a charge.
The second is harder, because “everyone else has one” is a real pressure. But it is a pressure about messaging and group chats, not about owning an app store. A basic phone, or a phone built for children that lets you choose each app, covers most of it.
Two things to know before you buy:
- Wi-Fi undoes “no data”. A phone without a data plan can still reach the whole internet on any Wi-Fi network. If you want limits, choose a device where they’re built into the phone itself.
- A smartphone is not social media. If you do go for one, Instagram, TikTok and Snapchat are separate decisions, and all three set 13 as their own minimum.
For what to agree before any phone arrives, see When should kids get a phone?
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Checked 6 November 2026.
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