ATHENS, GA — A new study from the University of Georgia is raising concerns about giving children cell phones too early, finding that early smartphone ownership may be linked to lasting mental health impacts.

Lead researcher Cory Carvalho says the four-year study found that children who received their first phone before age 11 reported higher levels of depression, anxiety, and family conflict compared to their peers.

“The kids are saying they’re experiencing more anxiety, more depression over time in the earlier smartphone-owning group, and the parents aren’t reporting that, it’s not registering in their report of their child’s mental health problems,” Carvalho explained.

He added that children who did not own smartphones showed no increase in mental health problems over the four-year period.

Carvalho says the study adds to a growing body of research warning against early smartphone use. “I think that this study adds to a growing list of studies that are showing that early smartphone ownership might not be for kids’ advantage for mental health,” he said.

According to Carvalho, most children get their first cell phone around age 10, but current recommendations suggest waiting until as late as age 16 may be better for mental health.

“Having mental health problems in adolescents is a really strong predictive factor in mental health problems across the lifespan,” Carvalho said. “So this is a really critical period to try to get this right.”

WSB’s Sabrina Cupit contributed to this story