The author of this paper, a graduate student in economics, argues that the estimated increase (10% from 2005 to 2012) in injuries to children, especially those aged 0 to 5, may be due to parents being distracted by smartphone use while supervising children. The increase in injuries to very young children seems to have occurred after the expansion of the 3G network, providing easy access to games, videos, music, websites through a mobile phone and thus more distracting to parents. Although this paper does not go into effects from exposure to electromagnetic radiation emitted by mobile phones, it provides yet another perspective on the potentially harmful behavioral effects of use of digital technology. Abstract and Discussion and Conclusion from the document “That Smarts! Smartphones and Child Injuries”
by Craig Palsson, Department of Economics, Yale University, 7 October 2014
AbstractFrom 2005 to 2012, injuries to children under five increased by 10%. Using the expansion of ATT’s 3G network, I find that smartphone adoption has a causal impact on child injuries. This effect is strongest amongst children ages 0-5, but not children ages 6-10, and in activities where parental supervision matters. I put this forward as indirect evidence that this increase is due to parents being distracted while supervising children, and not due to increased participation in accident-prone activities.Read more »
