Half Of American Teenagers Believe They're Addicted To Mobile Phones
Half the U.S.teenagers are convinced that they are addicted to their mobile phones. Most of them check their phones once an hour at least and feel pressurised to reply to messages immediately, according to some information released by Common Sense Media.
The information has been released after data was gathered by studying 1,240 parents and children. Most of the parents agreed with the data. About 59 percent parents with children between the ages of 12 and 18 said that kids are not able to give up the phones. About one-third of the people polled said that they argue about phone usage every day.
"What we've discovered is that kids and parents feel addicted to their mobile devices, that it is causing daily conflict in homes, and that families are concerned about the consequences," said James Steyer, founder, and CEO of Common Sense Media. "We also know that problematic media use can negatively affect children's development and that multitasking can harm learning and performance."
Apart from using mobile phones, another analysis of data on Internet and technology is a cause for concern, with multi-tasking interfering with memory and empathy development.
The data showed that kids aged between 8 and 12 spend almost six hours a day using media while those between 13 to 18 spent nine hours a day on it.
"The seemingly constant use of tech, evidenced by teens immediately responding to texts, social-networking posts, and other notifications, is actually a reflection of teens' need to connect with others," the review read.
"Parents are right to be concerned about the impact of media on the development of their kids," added Ellen Wartella, director of Northwestern University's Center on Media and Human Development and an adviser for the review. "From attention disorders and multitasking to basic social interaction and interpersonal skills, we need to devote more time and research to understanding the impact of media use on our kids and then adjust our behavior accordingly."
The findings are a part of The Common Sense Census: Media Use by Tweens and Teens
