Smartphone ownership reaches 90% among Italian middle schoolers

A recent study by the National Institute for Public Policy Analysis (Inapp) reveals a significant trend in digital device ownership among Italian children. According to data from the Children’s Worlds international project, which surveyed 4,750 children and adolescents aged 7 to 14, smartphone ownership is becoming nearly universal at a young age.

The report indicates that 52.7% of fifth-grade elementary students already possess a personal smartphone. By the second year of middle school, this figure rises to 90.7%, meaning only one in ten adolescents does not own a mobile phone.

This rapid digital integration has sparked growing concerns regarding the impact of technology on the psychological and physical well-being of minors, specifically concerning social media use, eating disorders, and general social relationships.