Rise in Aggression, Hallucinations Among Teens Tied to Cellphone Use

Rise in Aggression, Hallucinations Among Teens Tied to Cellphone Use
by Suzanne Burdick, Ph.D., childrenshealthdefense.org,  January 30, 2025

The trend is particularly pronounced in girls, 65% of whom are distressed or struggling in a manner that substantially impairs their ability to function effectively in the world and rises to the level of clinical concern, according to the authors of a study published this month.

Feelings of aggression, anger and hallucinations are rising sharply among adolescents in the U.S. and India — and the increase is linked to the progressively younger age at which children are acquiring cellphones, according to a new study.

Researchers with the nonprofit Sapien Labs wrote in their Jan. 23 report:

“Swift action is needed to safeguard younger generations from a future marked by increased anger, aggression, and violence. … We urge parents at the very least to delay giving their child a smartphone until at least 8th grade or age 13 so as to give them more time to develop healthier social skills and reduce tendencies for anger and aggression.”

The report was based on data from 10,475 adolescents ages 13-17 in the U.S. and India, with roughly 5,000 teens from each country.

The teens completed an online survey about 47 aspects of their mental health — which the researchers called “mind health” — and well-being. The authors compared the teens’ results with those of adults.

They identified three trends in the data.

1. Mind health and well-being are poorer with each younger generation

There is a “generational decline” in mind health and well-being affecting younger and younger people, the authors said.

According to the report:

“Just a few decades ago, the relationship between psychological wellbeing and age followed a U-shaped curve. Younger and older generations had the highest wellbeing with a dip in middle age.

“Recent data from the Global Mind Project and others shows that this curve has now collapsed, with mind health and wellbeing now poorer with each successively younger generation.”

In other words, teens ages 13-17 fare worse mentally than young adults ages 18-24, who in turn fare worse than 25- to 34-year-olds, and so on.

“The trend is particularly pronounced in girls,” the authors said, “where 65% are distressed or struggling in a manner that substantially impairs their ability to function effectively in the world and would be of clinical concern.”

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