THE POSITION

The cell phone addiction in adolescents and pre-adolescents has risen to unprecedented levels causing a deep irritability and anxiety in them.

BODY OF ARGUMENT

Cell phone addiction is on the rise. It has now grown to unparalleled levels. The youth is so distracted that they cannot even survive one day without their devices. It is a constant companion (though a regressive one) wherever they go. It is disturbing to see that they cannot move from one room of the house to another without taking their devices along with them. What king of picture is being painted here? Well, it seems as if their phones are their life support systems which they cannot leave at all. So much so that they cannot wait for their phones to be charged (hence the new growing industry of fast charging is in effect). A study has revealed¹ that:

59 percent of parents feel their teens are addicted to their mobile devices
78 percent of teens check their mobile devices at least hourly
72 percent of teens feel an urgent need to immediately respond to texts
44 percent of teens believe they spend too much time on their cell phones
77 percent of parents feel their teens get distracted by their cell phones. For example, they fail to pay attention to other people at family events
30 percent of both teens and parents claim to argue about mobile devices and cell phones on a daily basis
44 percent of teens use their mobile devices at the dinner table.

This paints a grim picture. Although it is clear that the addiction is real and palpable there is another facet to it. When their need for usage keeps increasing and they cannot get enough of cell phone time for social media and other things (due to their studies and other engagements), they start getting irritable. Incidents of chronic grouchy behaviour and shouting viciously at parents are rising steeply. As found in many studies², dependence on gratification given by social media causes deep anxiety in longer run due to multiple reasons. A Harvard study reveals that ‘Recent studies have noted a significant uptick in depression and suicidal thoughts over the past several years for teens, especially those who spend multiple hours a day using screens, and especially girls. But many of the pressures teenagers feel from social media are actually consistent with developmentally normal concerns around social standing and self-expression’³

CONCLUSION

The usage of mobile phones in children must be reduced. This can be done systematically by giving them other goals and occupations that can substitute the device usage. The steep rise in mobile phone usage has been leading to a number of problems that can potentially decrease the academic performance of students of all ages.

References & Links

Newport Academy; A different kind of teen rehab; https://www.newportacademy.com/resources/mental-health/teen-cell-phone-addiction/#:~:text=Teen%20Cell%20Phone%20Addiction%20Statistics&text=78%20percent%20of%20teens%20check,time%20on%20their%20cell%20phones
Evolve treatment centres, Social Media Can Lead to Anxiety in Teens

https://evolvetreatment.com/blog/social-media-anxiety-teens/#:~:text=On%20the%20other%20hand%2C%20social,a%20decreased%20sense%20of%20wellbeing.

Shafer, Leah, RESEARCH STORIES, Social Media and Teen Anxiety, December 15, 2017 https://www.gse.harvard.edu/news/uk/17/12/social-media-and-teen-anxiety