Most millennials we don’t understand that children today have mobile phones since primary school. In my case, for example, I had my first cell phone in high school. A brick inherited from my sister. The point is that times change and it is logical that children begin to interact much earlier with technological devices. However, there is a lot of controversy regarding the ideal age for them to start doing it.
Some experts believe that it is good for them to start early, while many others point out that it can be harmful. For example, there is a lot of talk about the effects it can have on the reading ability of the little ones. And they don’t just talk about reading without syllables. The main handicap seems to be in reading comprehension. They read, but they don’t understand the content.
Neither age nor mobile phone use at school matters. In a recent studycarried out by UCLA psychologists, analyzed the effect of having a mobile phone on the reading ability of primary school children. 106 third and sixth grade children participated in the study. This, in the United States, is exactly equivalent to the third and sixth grades of primary school in Spain. All children had to take a reading comprehension test and answer a survey about mobile phone ownership. That is, they not only had to say if they have one, but also talk a little about their habits with him. It is important to emphasize that there were not only children of different ages. Culturally and linguistically different participants were also included.
With all this, it was seen that children who have a mobile phone obtained worse results in reading tests. This effect was maintained in both third and sixth grade students and it did not matter whether they carried their phone with them at school or if they had left it at home. The language in which they normally spoke with their family did not matter either. From all this it is concluded that the problem is the possession of a mobile phone. Not the distractions that may be caused by school or the child’s age. There is no ideal age to start using a mobile phone, at least when it comes to reading. That is precisely what one of the authors of the study, Patricia Greenfield, said. in statements collected by Phys.
The only exception. In the study there was one exception, referring to children from non-English-speaking families. In those cases, for those who had a cell phone, their reading skills were better when they used games on the phone and they had been texting with other children for a long time. It is an exception that, in reality, fits with other studiesin which it is pointed out that the problem is not in using the mobile phone, but in the use made of it. Using it to watch TikTok challenge videos is not the same as using it to use educational games. The same thing happens with television or tablets, for example.
More than the ability to read as such, reading comprehension is affected.
Beyond reading. In reality, reading is not the only quality that is affected by premature use of mobile phones. For example, there are studies that suggest that it can affect mental and physical health, increasing the risk of phenomena such as insomnia or obesity. In these cases, reference is made to age. In fact, in a study published in 2025negative effects inversely proportional to age were pointed out. And we’re not talking about very young children. In 12-year-old students with a mobile phone, a 60% increase in the risk of poor sleep and a 40% increase in the risk of obesity was seen compared to those who did not have this device.
Observational studies. It is important to highlight that a good part of these studies are observational. For example, in the case of reading tests, a statistically significant correlation was found between having a mobile phone and obtaining worse results in reading tests. However, it cannot be proven that the problem is actually with the phone. As they say, Correlation does not imply causation. It could be more of a coincidence.
In any case, there are many studies that indicate that screens are not the best allies in those stages in which the mind begins to develop. Of course we are more influenced by technology than we were 20 years ago. Perhaps it is not necessary to wait for a brick inherited in high school, but it is not the best idea in the world to give a mobile phone to a 6-year-old child.
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