Story Highlights
- 50% of teenagers and 27% of parents feel dependent on their mobile devices, survey finds
- Nearly 80% of teens check their phones every hour; 72% feel the need to respond immediately
(CNN) I don't have teenagers yet, but watching my 7- and 10-year-olds spend endless amounts of time on iPads during spring break worries me a lot.
A new survey that confirms how much teens rely on their phones gives me even more concern.
50 percent of teenagers feel addicted to their mobile devices, according to the survey carried out for Common Sense Media, a non-profit organization aimed at helping children, parents, teachers and policymakers negotiate media and technology. More parents, 59%, said their teens were addicted. The survey involved 1,240 interviews with parents and their children aged 12 to 18.
'Tech addiction can happen to anyone,' says digital detox expert Holland Haiis , who describes technology as "the new addiction of the 21st century" in his book " Connect consciously : a simple process to reconnect in a disconnected world".
“If your teens prefer to play indoors, alone, rather than going to the movies, meeting friends for burgers, or any other way teens build camaraderie, you may have a problem.”
How to reduce your children's cell phone addiction.
How many teenagers are really addicted to their devices and the Internet? It's hard to say. An exam of 2011 of 18 research studies found that Internet addiction could affect between zero and 26% of adolescents and college students in the United States, according to Common Sense Media . And although Internet addiction is considered a threat to public health in other parts of the world , it is not yet a recognized disorder in the United States. After reviewing all existing research, Common Sense Media concludes that further study is needed to determine how real digital addiction is, as well as its signs and consequences.
Whether it's an addiction or not, two-thirds of parents - 66% - believe their teens spend too much time on their mobile devices, and 52% of teens agree, according to the survey.
'Teenage zombies' consumed by phones
Nearly 80% of teens in the new survey said they check their phones every hour, and 72% said they feel the need to respond to texts and social media messages immediately. Thirty-six percent of parents said they argue with their child daily about device use, and 77% of parents feel their children are distracted by their devices and don't pay attention when using devices. they are together at least a few times a week.
Terry Greenwald, a father of three adult children, works as a custodian at a high school in Homer, Alaska, and said the hallways are often half-filled with "teenage zombies glued to their phones."
They often walk close to the walls so they can move from one classroom to another without looking away from their screens, he said. “It gets interesting when they get to the stairs and the walls end for the staircase,” he said. “They don't want to look up and they don't have the option to run down the stairs, but they often slow down until they reach the wall just after the opening. They're often late to the next class, but that's OK because they've managed to keep their attention off their phones. "
Teenagers' social secrets go deeper than parents think.
Janis Elspas, founder of Mommy Blog Expert, believes that the rules and limits that parents set for their children when they get their first cell phone or smartphone could be helpful in avoiding addiction later.
Her children, 18-year-old triplets and a 20-year-old, didn't own their first cell phone until they were at least a junior in high school and had a part-time job to pay for some or all of their phone service. monthly. She also has a no-phones-at-the-table policy, which applies to her and her husband.
“This rule also applies to friends of the children who might be sitting at the table with us,” said Elspas of Los Angeles. “Sometimes they are shocked when I scold them for taking out their phone and if there is a notification or it rings, I ask them to turn off their device.”
Such a rule can prove to children, first-hand, that they can "survive" without having to see or use their smartphones all the time, she added.
There are signs that some teens may receive this message and realize that too much time spent on their devices isn't necessarily a good thing. More than a third of teens, 37%, said they very often or occasionally try to reduce the time they spend on their devices, according to the Common Sense Media poll.
Parents have a problem too
Parents may complain about how much time their teens spend on their phones, but they admit they have their own struggles when it comes to unplugging.
Twenty-seven percent of parents feel addicted to their mobile devices, while nearly the same number of teens, 28 percent, think their parents are addicted, the survey found.
10 signs you might be addicted to your smartphone
Sixty-nine percent of parents check their devices at least once an hour, compared to 78% of teens who say they do this, and nearly half, 48%, of parents say they need to respond to texts immediately and to messages on social networks. More than half, 56%, of parents admit to checking their mobile devices while driving and almost the same number, 52%, very often or occasionally try to reduce the time they spend on devices.
GG Benitez, a mother of three, said that as founder and CEO of his own public relations company , she felt the pressure to always be available due to the fear of losing any potential press opportunities for her clients.
Although she is often praised by her clients, family and friends for her "immediate response" to texts, emails and social media posts, she said this constant need to be connected can be taxing. Yet even when she tries not to have her phone in the evening for at least an hour, she has a difficult time.
"I took my son to the movies, and he turned to me and said, 'Are you serious, mom? We're at the movie theater and you're still on the phone?'"
Haiis, the digital detox expert, said one way to try to combat an addiction to digital devices is to resist endless hours of internet browsing. “We have constant access to new information and it's alluring and intriguing and exciting, but without setting yourself boundaries, it's a slippery slope,” she said.
Talking to Teenagers About Social Media
She also said to limit posting on social media to three to five times a week, if possible, which will make you more specific about what you post and reduce you to less time looking at other people's posts.
And, when you're at home and feel the urge to grab your device, go outside, take a walk or exercise, she said. “The dopamine in our brains is stimulated by the unpredictability that social media, email and texting provide,” Haiis said. "It's a vicious cycle and to break that cycle you have to find the same unpredictability and stimulation that exists if you exercise. You never know what's around the bend when you exercise. jogging, cycling or walking."
Benitez, the public relations executive who struggles to stay away from her phone, said she has taken steps to combat her own digital addiction, such as putting the phone aside during meals.
“I made a conscious decision to be more ‘present’ and will put the phone on silent and away from my vision, but not without fear of missing something important,” she added.
She also hopes in the future to try "cutting in" to a decent hour when it comes to work, but isn't quite ready to take that step yet. For her friends and family who have become accustomed to her immediate responses, she considered sending them a text to tell them that she will try to reduce her addiction to the phone and ask them to be understanding if she doesn't respond in his limits.
Here are 12 signs your teen might have a serious problem with their smartphone:
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Becomes anxious, moody, or grumpy when kept away from the phone
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Staying up late or waking up at night to text or use the smartphone
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Constantly breaking school or home rules that prohibit phone use at certain times
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Loss of interest in activities that don't include smartphones
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Constantly checks the phone for messages, even in the middle of something else
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Has a name for his phone
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Frequently sends messages to people in the same room or building
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Uses the phone in the shower (yes, teenagers really do that)
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Spends a lot of money on apps, music downloads, etc.
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Frequently isolates himself in a group social setting (going out with friends, meals with family) to use the smartphone
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Inability to concentrate on homework or studies due to smartphone
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Interrupts face-to-face conversations to answer calls or messages often
Do you think your teenager is addicted to his cell phone? Are you addicted? Share your thoughts with us in comments
