My parents liked to go on at my younger sister about her unnatural attachment to her phone when she was a teenager.

We have a bit of an age-gap between us, so I’m of that generation that remembers having to call a friend up on a landline to make plans. I saw the evolution of the cellphone from a large brick-like thing that needed its own carry bag, to the indestructible Nokia, the flip-phone of the 2000s, and finally, the smartphones that we know and love today.

My sister came to the party around about the flip-phone ‘internet enables’ phase of that evolution.

The smartphone has made it even easier to connect with just about everyone and everything from the palm of your hand, but it looks like it’s becoming a bit of a problem, and in some cases, a bit of a habit.

Before you “OK, Boomer” the idea that kids these days are addicted to their smartphones, take a moment to read the results of this study.

The Telegraph with more:

An analysis of more than 41 studies involving more than 41,000 under-20s by King’s College London found that one in four youngsters used phones in a way consistent with a behavioural addiction.

Problematic smartphone use includes feeling panicky or upset when the phone is unavailable, finding it difficult to control the amount of time spent on the phone and using the phone to the detriment of other enjoyable activities.

The researchers concluded that an average of 23% of young smartphone users were using the devices in a problematic way. They’re calling it ‘PSU’ or ‘problematic smartphone usage’.

First author Samantha Sohn the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience (IoPPN) at King’s, said: “Behavioural addictions can have serious consequences on mental health and day-to-day functioning, so there is a need for further investigation into problematic smartphone usage in the UK.”

“In order to determine whether PSU should be classified as a behavioural addiction we need longitudinal data looking at PSU in relation to more objective health outcomes, as well as evidence that people with PSU struggle to moderate their use.”

The study focussed on teenagers, but younger children are at risk as well. A recent study found a connection between screen time and reduced cognitive abilities in kids.

Back to the teens. Here’s co-senior author, Dr Ben Carter:

“Our review assesses the effects not just of heavy use, but of dysfunctional smartphone use, and by looking at an ‘addicted’ pattern of behaviour towards smartphones we have established correlations between this type of dysfunctional behaviour and poorer mental health outcomes.”

Smartphones are here to stay, but knowing how they could affect you or your kids, in the long run, is key to managing how they’re used.

“We don’t know whether it is the smartphone itself that can be addictive or the apps that people use.”

“Nevertheless, there is a need for public awareness around smartphone use in children and young people, and parents should be aware of how much time their children spend on their phones.”

More research is needed to fully unpack this issue. I would also like to see some research into how your average retiree is being affected, given how much time they seem to spend on Facebook.

Just remember to get out now and again and breathe in the fresh air.

[source:telegraph]