Warning: This article contains discussion of mental health and suicide which some readers may find distressing.
A report has revealed the impact of smartphones on young people’s mental healths and the suggested minimum age for kids to own their own device.
Look, there’s no denying smartphones are wondrous things – a whole online world and pages of information at our very fingertips.
However, there’s also no use denying that they aren’t the bane of the universe too – distracting us from the natural beauty of the world, limiting genuine social interactions and connections, highly addictive and depressing.
The report
A report shared by Sapien Labs draws on the US’ Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) documenting ‘growing rates of both sadness and suicide 10–18-year-olds since 2010, particularly in girls’ alongside ‘rising rates of violence and fear for physical safety’ alongside India’s National Mental Health Survey from the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS) documenting ‘an increase in suicide rates among young people’.
The report examined the ‘mind health and wellbeing of 10,475 internet-enabled adolescents aged between 13-17 across the United States and India‘ between August and November 2024.
The study used the Youth-MHQ – an online anonymous mental health assessment which ‘captures 47 aspects of mind health together with a wide variety of life context and life experience factors’.
The study had particular focus on analysing ‘rising feelings of aggression, anger and irritability’ alongside ‘hallucinations’.
The report looked at kids between 13-17 (Getty Stock Images)
The results
The report found: “In both the US and India, over 50 percent of 13–17-year-olds indicated that feelings of sadness, guilt and anxiety caused them serious problems in their everyday life while debilitating unwanted strange thoughts and a sense of being detached from reality came in at 51 percent and 46 percent, respectively.
“[…] While not in the list of top 12 most prevalent problems, feelings of aggression towards others, hallucinations and anger & irritability were most increased in 13-year-olds compared to 17-year-olds overall.”
‘Most significantly’, the report found ‘among the 47 aspects of mind health queried, feelings of aggression, anger and hallucinations are rising most sharply with each younger age and are associated with the progressively younger age at which children are acquiring smartphones’.
“The dominant problems in 13–17-year-olds extend beyond sadness and anxiety to include unwanted, strange thoughts and a sense of being detached from reality, while the problems that are increasing fastest with each younger age group are feelings of aggression towards others, anger & irritability and hallucinations,” it added.
The report also suggests the younger kids own a smartphone, the more likely they are to experience aggression and anger and there’s ‘a directional, but smaller, trend for hallucinations’ too.
But how do phones result in children feeling like this?
Smartphone use in younger people went passed sadness and even led to increased ‘anger & irritability and hallucination’ (Getty Stock Images)
How phones lead to these emotions?
Well, the report notes it’s ‘still not yet fully clear how owning a smartphone from a young age gives rise to these problems’ but reflects on the ‘exposure to content that is inappropriate for a younger audience’ which can be found in the ‘virtual world’ – such as violent content or bullying on social media platforms – alongside phones taking kid away from ‘family-and-community-centric experiences’.
Excessive screen time can also lead to less hours sleeping, worse sleep quality and in turn, less sleep can increase irritability and anger in children, potentially negatively impacting their social interactions too.
The report advises only giving kids smartphones from 8th grade onwards (Getty Stock Images)
What it means for the future
While noting it can be ‘challenging’ to limit screen time and ‘inappropriate content’ online, the report suggests following a ‘policy of “wait until 8th” or later’ – only given a child a smartphone once they reach 8th grade – 13 to 14 years old – ‘as to give [children] more time to develop healthier social skills and reduce tendencies for anger and aggression’.
The report resolves: “As we continue to study these trends and explore the underlying causes, one thing is clear: swift action is needed to safeguard younger generations from a future marked by increased anger, aggression, and violence.”
If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available through Mental Health America. Call or text 988 to reach a 24-hour crisis center or you can webchat at 988lifeline.org. You can also reach the Crisis Text Line by texting MHA to 741741.
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Featured Image Credit: Getty Stock Image
Topics: Phones, Technology, Mental Health, iPhone
Poppy Bilderbeck
These are all the amazing new iPhone features you can get from new iOS 18 that’s out now
iOS 18 became available on Apple devices yesterday (September 16)
Apple finally dropped its long-awaited iOS 18 update yesterday (16 September), with a bunch of new features included as well as some controversial changes – here’s what you need to know.
Apple revealed its new models of phone earlier this month, with iPhone 16 releasing across the globe later this week.
But before the fun of the new iPhone, Apple has dropped iOS 18 on its existing devices.
But what’s going to change for those who download iOS 18?
iPhone 16 is out later this week (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
New customization options
With iOS 18, Apple is promising more customization options than ever, and it all begins with the Home Screen.
iPhone users can choose how the app icons and widgets are presented, whether that be with a light, dark, or colored tint.
Meanwhile, Control Centre has seen a bit of an overhaul, with Apple stating it has been ‘redesigned to be even more flexible’.
Photos
Perhaps the most controversial change with iOS 18 is the changes made to the Photos app.
With the latest update, you can now see around 30 pictures on the screen, instead of a list of tabs when you open the app.
The aim with this feature is pretty simple; Apple wants users to have more customization when it comes to their photos.
However, many users have been left in disarray with the changes, flocking to social media to voice their contempt.
“The new Photo App in iOS 18 is one of the worst designs Apple has ever released. I can’t believe it survived multiple betas. I hate it so much,” one person penned.
iOS 18 has a bunch of new features (NIC COURY/AFP via Getty Images)
While a second added: “iOS 18 Photos app is really bad, I was hoping people were just wrong but no, it’s unusable and has barely any memory allocated (but that could just be a bug).”
Updates to Messages and Phone
We’ve all been in that situation when a text has been misunderstood, haven’t we? Well, new formatting options such as bold, italic, underline, and strikethrough should allow users to better imply tone.
Meanwhile, the Phone app allows iPhone owners the ability to record and transcribe live calls.
Those on the other end of the call will be notified when calls are being recorded, while transcripts are saved to the Notes app.
‘Distraction-Free Browsing with Safari’
Reader has been redesigned with iOS 18 to be more redefined than ever, according to Apple.
The new feature ‘brings more ways to enjoy articles with a streamlined view, a summary, and a table of contents for longer articles.’
Meanwhile, new categorisation in Mail allows users to stay on top of their inbox with the more pressing issues.
You can check out all the new features introduced with iOS 18 here.
Featured Image Credit: Getty/Anita Kot/Apple
Topics: Apple, iPhone, Phones, Technology
Callum Jones
Warning issued to Apple users seeking repairs as new update comes in
You wouldn’t steal a handbag, you wouldn’t steal a car and now, you’re less likely to want to steal an iPhone too
Apple’s latest iOS update will reportedly introduce a special feature to prevent stolen phone parts from being used.
Earlier this year, Apple introduced ‘Activation Lock’ – ‘a feature that’s designed to prevent anyone else from using your iPhone or iPad if it’s ever lost or stolen’.
However, it’s now reported the feature is extending to individual parts of an iPhone device too, hopefully deterring people from mugging you for your Apple device and much harder to sell the parts of the phone on should they do so anyway.
What is ‘Activation lock’
The tech company’s website explains: “Activation Lock is turned on automatically when you set up Find My on your device.
“Activation Lock helps you keep your device secure, even if it falls into the wrong hands, and can improve your chances of recovering it. Even if you erase your device remotely, Activation Lock can continue to deter anyone else from reactivating your device without your permission. All you need to do is keep Find My turned on.”
If ‘Activation Lock’ is turned on – which it will be automatically when you first set up ‘Find My,’ Apple stores your Apple ID ‘on its activation servers and links it to your device’. This means your Apple ID password or device passcode is ‘required’ before any big changes can be made to your phone.
You mark your phone as ‘Lost’ in the ‘Find My’ app and it will lock your screen with a passcode and you can add a message to help get it back too or just choose to wipe it.
Basically, the ‘Activation Lock’ means the person who took it won’t be able to turn off your Find My iPhone, ‘erase’ it or ‘reactivate and use’ it as if it’s a new phone. And the feature is reportedly being extended to every part of the iPhone too.
The update to Activation Lock will hopefully further deter thieves (Liz Hafalia/The San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images)
Latest update
In April, Apple stated in an update shared to its newsroom: “Apple will also extend its popular Activation Lock feature to iPhone parts in order to deter stolen iPhones from being disassembled for parts.”
This includes replaceable parts such as the display screen, camera and battery – all with their own individual serial numbers.
The update continues: “Requested by customers and law enforcement officials, the feature was designed to limit iPhone theft by blocking a lost or stolen iPhone from being reactivated.
“If a device under repair detects that a supported part was obtained from another device with Activation Lock or Lost Mode enabled, calibration capabilities for that part will be restricted.”
Betaprofiles explains on Threads: “The fact is, you can tap Cancel and continue using the iPhone without entering the previous owner’s Apple Account. However, the replaced part will be labeled as “Unknown Part” in Settings.”
You’ll be able to lock replaceable parts of your iPhone (Apple/ Threads/ @betaprofiles)
iOS 18 – available on iPhone XR or later – was tested on ‘developers and public beta testers’ on Monday (September 9) and is set to roll out to the public on Monday (September 16), 9to5Mac reports.
Activation Lock for parts is currently reported as only being available on iPhones and not iPads or other devices yet.
Featured Image Credit: Getty/GIUSEPPE CACACEGetty/Guido Mieth
Topics: Apple, Technology, iPhone, Phone
List of phones that will no longer be able to use WhatsApp in 2025 revealed
The compatibility update comes into force on New Year’s Day
Several cellphones won’t be able to access WhatsApp from tomorrow.
Technology is forever evolving and, if I’m honest, it’s pretty darn hard to keep up with.
I mean, if you’d have told me 10 years ago that Apple would release its Vision Pro headset that allows people to interact with digital content and apps in their physical space, I’d have laughed you out of the room.
With the fast developing world of technology speeding up as each year passes, it’s no surprise that some people have given up trying to keep up with the latest releases.
However, if you’re hanging on to a particularly old cellphone and you’re a frequent WhatsApp user, then it might be time for you to bite the bullet and invest in a new model.
Why, I hear you ask? Because several older devices won’t be able to access WhatsApp services from tomorrow (January 1) onwards.
The app is making changes to its compatibility with operating systems – Android KitKat OS in particular.
WhatsApp are making changes to its device compatibility (Getty Stock)
Those who still have KitKat – which was released over 10 years ago – on their phones won’t be able to use WhatsApp in 2025.
However, if you still use KitKat and are able to update your device to a more recent OS, then you might just be safe, Metro Online says.
Some of the Android devices that will be affected by the change include:
- Samsung: Galaxy S3, Galaxy Note 2, Galaxy Ace 3, Galaxy S4 Mini
- Motorola: Moto G (1st Gen), Razr HD, Moto E 2014
- HTC: One X, One X+, Desire 500, Desire 601
- LG: Optimus G, Nexus 4, G2 Mini, L90
- Sony: Xperia Z, Xperia SP, Xperia T, Xperia V
And it’s not just Android devices that will be affected; later in 2025, older iPhones will be too.
From May 5, iPhones still using iOS 15.1 or earlier versions will no longer be able to access WhatsApp.
Some devices that will still use this iOS include the iPhone 5s; iPhone 6; and iPhone 6 Plus.
The Samsung Galaxy S3 is one of the devices that will be affected from tomorrow (Neilson Barnard/Getty Images for Samsung)
In light of the news regarding Androids and KitKat, some people have taken to social media to share their surprise that WhatsApp was still compatible with the server after all these years.
“Holy sh*t they were still supporting KitKat,” someone said on Reddit.
Others joked that if your device still uses KitKat, then it was probably time for an upgrade anyway.
A Redditor quipped: “If you’re running android that old, you might as well just use public Twitter posts to communicate because that phone is about as insecure as it can get.”
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Featured Image Credit: Carl Court/Getty Images / Guillaume Payen/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images
Niamh Shackleton
Psychologist issues urgent warning over ‘popcorn brain’ from scrolling on your phone
Do you want you brain to emulate a bag of corn kernels exploding? I think not.
A psychologist has warned against scrolling on your phone and ending up with ‘popcorn brain’.
Yup, popcorn brain. You may already feel like your head is filled with soup – it only having taken two months of 2024 to burn you out – but now you should also worry about your brain popping like pieces of corn according to one psychologist.
It sounds worse than it is, but if you want to preserve the last remaining shreds of sanity you’re desperately clutching on to, then you should probably read on.
We all do it – unless you have the mental strength of Yoda. Waking up and having a quick scroll through our feeds, or sitting on public transport during our dreary commute drawing our phones from our pockets to click on Instagram opposed to actually making some positive use of the time and reading a book.
Or there’s the classic late-night doom scroll, which makes you so wired you can barely sleep or leads you to send a paranoid text to your partner after an intrusive thought is sparked by a social media post.
Despite knowing it’s bad for you, you do it anyway, however, clinical psychologist Dr. Daniel Glazer’s warning may be the message you take heed of to finally cut the habit.
The psychologist tells Metro your scrolling habits could mean you’re suffering from ‘popcorn brain’, which ‘refers to the tendency for our attention and focus to jump quickly from one thing to another, like popping corn kernels’.
Granted, Dr Glazer notes some popular apps are designed to encourage such behaviour with ‘variable reward schedules, micro-dosing of dopamine, and purposefully addictive designs optimised to maximise engagement over well-being,’ but if you’ve found yourself getting bored half-way through TikTok videos then you should probably take a hard look at yourself as well – it takes two to tango after all.
The question is, what can you do about it?
Getty Images/ Jaap Arriens/ NurPhoto
Well, in order to combat your brain getting ‘accustomed to and expect[ing] frequent distractions and immediate gratification’ and re-train it to be better at ‘sustained concentration’ activities such as ‘reading, work projects or in-person conversations,’ there are some rules you can put in place.
First, make sure you order yourself to a period of time per day where you’re not allowed on any technology. Yes, like a child, you need to have some no-screen time if you want to rewire your brain and attention span.
Dr Glazer also recommends ‘consciously pausing to focus on a single task’ – if you need to go on your phone to answer an email, that’s fine, but make sure that’s all you’re doing and you’re not getting sidetracked.
And ultimately, if that’s not working, nor cut-off timers either, Dr Glazer adds you can always ‘periodically deleting apps’ if you really need to ‘regain some control’.
Or do what I wish I could and just throw your phone away, abandon your normal life and go live on a desert island where you have to fish for food and hike to find water. The choice is yours.
