“Get off that phone” is something that plenty of teens have heard their parents tell them. But are their parents right? Are teens really addicted to their phones?
Phone overuse became a hidden problem during the pandemic. Everyone was stuck at home, so they went on their phones. The National Library of Medicine suggested “COVID-19 related lockdown policies might lead to the overuse or excessive usage of smartphones,” and they were correct.
“You should limit screen time to less than two hours a day,” said Reid Health. Most people, especially teenagers, are on their phones for hours and hours. Screen time reports are entering the double digits, and the extended exposure to screens is affecting people’s mental health. People’s screen times are sometimes more than half a day. They spend more time on their phone than doing anything else. People don’t realize that this dependence on their device is detrimental to their health. While being entertained all the time allows your brain to rest, a little too much makes people start to develop anxiety and depression, occasionally even some anger issues.
A lot of people are in denial about their addiction or don’t know what is considered addiction. Phone addiction is when you cannot get off the phone, you crave it like it’s a need. If you are sad and anxious without your phone or device, those are also signs of addiction.
Does everyone think kids are getting addicted to phones at a rapid rate? “I think kids are addicted to their phones because that’s all I see people doing nowadays. 10 hours is way too much,” said sophomore Gloria Cauley.
Others agree with Cauley. “Nowadays we kinda have to be on our phones. [Although,] anything over 12 hours is too much because that is half a whole day on a phone,” sophomore Ruby Godlewski added. Being on a device for over half a day is not healthy. Even if we go on our devices because we need to, for example if we need to call someone or text them, 12 hours is way too long on a phone.
Some people are addicted and do not even notice. According to Cross River Therapy, “Two-thirds (66%) of teenagers say they feel “anxious” when they don’t have smartphones.” If you’re feeling nervous or angry without your phone or any device, maybe you’re addicted.
Some symptoms of being addicted are being anxious without your phone, thinking about your phone when you don’t have it or not using it at the moment even, and early signs of depression can be caused because of phone addiction. If you’re feeling any of these things, here’s some tips to help from Psych Central.
- Start to set boundaries with your phone
- Identify triggers
- Put your phone away at night
If you want to keep your mind off using your phone, try finding a hobby you enjoy. If you need help finding the right hobby for you, check out this previous article about a few hobbies and on to get started on them.
Another resource is the SAMHSA National Helpline: 1-800-662-4357. Calling this number is very beneficial if you believe you are addicted. They provide 24-hour free treatment about mental and substance use disorders, prevention and recovery.
