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TECHNOLOGY ADDICTION

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Tech Addiction (Smart Phones & Smart Devices)

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Research Report showed that 50% of teenagers felt addicted to their devices, and 78% checked their devices at least every hour.

72% of teenagers felt pressured to respond immediately to texts, notifications and social media messaging.

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Community survey (2018) of parents with children revealed that 47% of parents feel that their child is “addicted” to their mobile device.

Interestingly, 32% of those parents said the same about themselves.

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Pew Research Report (2015) found that 73% of 13- to 17-year-olds had their own smartphones or had access to one, and 24% said they were online “almost constantly.”

Parents of Children who are Smart Phone or Smart Devices Addicts

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Many parents are generally conflicted about their teens’ smartphone use. They appreciate the convenience of having access to their children and the potential safety benefits.

In an age of social media socialisation, teenagers use messaging apps to stay in touch with friends and make social plans, some of which can be positive.

Parents trying to monitor use can have difficulty distinguishing abusive behaviour from appropriate use, especially since teens use their devices for both schoolwork and free time, often simultaneously.

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Addiction to tech devices is more serious for children. Electronic screens are so tempting that it’s difficult for the child to turn to something else—thus, the child can easily become addicted to the screen.

YouTube is a big factor in parents’ worries. Although YouTube offers parental controls, just 40% of parents surveyed take advantage of them.

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The main worry for parents comes from Facebook and Instagram.

Children do not have a fully developed understanding of privacy, including what's appropriate to share with others and who has access to their conversations, pictures, and videos.

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Although social networking apps can keep children connected to friends and family, texts do not allow for eye contact or the understanding of the emotions behind the messages. Paradoxically, social media may have the effect of undermining a child’s ability for healthy social interaction.

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How will I know if my Child is a Phone or Smart Device Addict?

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Here are some questions to ask yourself:

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  • Does your teenager’s mood suddenly change and become intensely anxious, irritable, angry or even violent when the phone is taken away or unavailable for use?

  • Does your teen skip or not participate in social events because of time spent on the phone or smart device ?

  • Does your child check their smartphone every time they receive Facebook notifications or messages?

  • Is your child distracted from his/her studies or homework?

  • Does your child spend so much time on a smartphone or device that it affects personal hygiene and normal daily activities (most notably, sleep)?

  • Lying, hiding and breaking family rules to spend more time on a smartphone?

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Signs & Symptoms of Smart devices Addiction

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Sleeping Problems

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Insomnia and difficulty falling asleep. This might be caused by staying up late to play games and watch videos, waking up during the night to check notifications or due to using screens during the hour before sleep which can disrupt the natural sleep pattern.

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Depression and anxiety

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Social anxiety or even depression can be caused by lack of human contact. Cell phone/ Tech/ smart device addiction affects relationships with friends and family in a negative way.

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Obsessive-compulsive disorder

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Cell phone/ Tech/ smart device addicted teenagers constantly feel the pressing need to use their mobile devices all the time. Turning the phone off can cause increased anxiety and even panic. The obsessive idea of staying connected round the clock is a real problem that might require professional help.

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Relationship problems

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Excessive Mobile phone engagement might reach such a degree that a teenager becomes distracted from being present in the real world. It adversely affects all aspects of their lives – school, family and other responsibilities.

A child might isolate from friends and family, spending time absorbed in the digital world. The danger hides in the fact that while it’s crucial for teens to gain social skills and interact in person, they prefer virtual communication.

 

The Main Reasons Children are Addicted to their Phones

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  • Pleasure

  • Part of extended self and socialise

  • Recognition by the public

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Cambridge Medical Centre (CMC) Child & Adolescent Mental Health information publications Copyright 2018.

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