Are young people sadder, angrier? New study blames smartphones

YOUNGER THE AGE AT WHICH ONE GETS SMARTPHONE, THE POORER THEIR MENTAL HEALTH, THE STUDY SAID

- Rhythma Kaul

NEW DELHI: Smartphones, previously accused of making people dumb, make young people sad and angry, a new study has claimed, calling for staggering the age at which people start using these devices.

The younger the age at which a person gets a smartphone, the poorer their mental health and well-being, said the report from Sapien Labs - "The Youth Mind: Rising aggression and anger"-released on Thursday. It added that the "feelings of aggression, anger, and hallucinations that are rising most sharply with each younger year are associated with the progressively younger age at which children are acquiring smartphones".

We are "in the midst of a youth mental crisis," it added on the basis of studying the mental health and well-being of 10,475 internet-enabled adolescents aged 13-17 across the US and India.