UVA study finds early smartphone access raises health risks for children

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (WVIR) – More children are receiving smartphones before middle school, and new research from the University of Virginia shows this trend could harm their health.

The study found that children who received smartphones before age 12 exercised less, slept less and socialized in person less than their peers without devices.

“Kids that age cannot be healthy without adequate sleep and exercise. Those are just crucial building blocks during the middle school years,” said Claudia Allen, a clinical psychologist at UVA who conducted the research…

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