“More than half of teens are worried they spend too much time on mobile devices and are making efforts to stop, according to a Pew Research Center report released Wednesday,” Kari Paul writes for MarketWatch.
“The survey of 743 U.S. teens found that teenagers sometimes react strongly when their phone is taken away,” Paul writes. “Roughly four-in-ten teenagers said they feel anxious when they leave home without their cell phone and more than half (56%) associate the absence of their cell phone with at least one of these three emotions: loneliness, being upset or feeling anxious.”
“More worrying perhaps, these feelings are similar to those associated with withdrawal from addictive behavior,” Paul writes. “Addiction specialists say teenagers suffering from depression or anxiety often use smartphones as a coping mechanism rather than learning to sit with their emotions and developing relationships. That can create a Catch-22 when they seek solace from the same device that prevents them from processing their emotions.”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: Hopefully, iOS 12’s Screen Time fetaure will help those mitigate their iPhone addiction, by shedding further light on the issue.
SEE ALSO:
Screen Time: Why Apple can’t solve iPhone addiction in a vacuum – June 6, 2018
iOS 12’s Screen Time feature shows how badly Apple’s iPad needs user accounts – June 5, 2018
Apple’s iOS 12 introduces new features to reduce interruptions and manage Screen Time – June 4, 2018
Why OH WHY????!!!! Do these “EXPERTS” call it “iPhone Addiction”… as opposed to “Android Addiction”? Android has 95% of the global smartphone marketshare. Right? pff
“iDisorder” REAAAAAALLLY?
Heavy smartphone users can’t go 10 minutes without their phone before suffering from anxiety, according to a 2014 study published in the journal “Computers in Human Behavior” and coauthored by Larry Rosen, professor of psychology at California State University and author of “iDisorder: Understanding Our Obsession with Technology and Overcoming Its Hold on Us.” Rosen says most people can’t go an hour without getting anxious if their smartphone is taken away.
All “addictions” are a result of choices…a substance or thing doesn’t have an inevitable planetary-like gravitational pull.
With that said, one of FB’s founders (Seth Parker) knew, when created, their portal would have the effect of a “social validation feedback loop,” his own phrase. Who doesn’t want to be validated and since updates/changes are frequent and immediate, users are trained to constantly feed on the “validation”. In the end, it’s really not healthy validation at all, because it’s fickle and ever-changing.
FB is just an example, not the sole source. It’s (social media, pop/political info, the web in general) is a cultural diversion/deviation/distraction and, I’ll guess few in the US are not affected to some degree. More and more, people have challenges being alone and quiet within themselves and portable tech (mainly) enables an outward reach to connect, but also to distract and comfort.
Addiction? Maybe, but that’s often a word used to diminish self-control and responsibility.
People really keep a tight grip on their smartphones. They let it droop for a few seconds and boom, check on it again. No notification sound needed, just check to see if someone has contacted them. Honestly, it’s really weird. How did they survive before smartphones? I have no complaints, though, as long as they keep buying iPhones every year or two. Their device addiction is OK with me as long as they don’t run me down while texting and driving.
I’m too old to understand that validation crap. I’m 70 and was around long before smartphones. I was pretty much an online junkie at one time. Spent hours and hours on my computers, day in and day out. Fortunately, I kicked the habit and now spend more time on my bicycle or handball courts. I need the exercise. I never liked phones and consider them an annoyance and distraction to what’s going on around me. It might be nice if some hot babe was trying to contact me, but that damn sure isn’t going to happen.
It’s neither iPhone or Android phone addiction. Mostly everyone is totally addicted to social services such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Tinder, etc. However, it’s very unfair for those idiots to single out Apple’s iPhone as an addiction when as you say, Android smartphones have by far, largest market share percentage on the entire planet. I’m sure, from what I’ve seen on the subways and buses, most teenagers are sporting Android smartphones with only a smattering of iPhones. I do see a fair amount of iPhones among adults in my area in NYC. Most of the time, everyone is texting like crazy no matter what smartphone they’re using. It’s easy to tell how addicted they are by watching all those fools texting while driving. It may not be a physical addiction but if it’s a mental addiction it’s just as bad.
Android OS must have 98% global smartphone market share since India’s consumers started buying smartphones. Apple are slip-sliding away.
/s
Leaving home without the phone is NO solution. E.g. someone (called John) has an accident in a semi-remote area, can’t move and has to be carried out.
We are a world of 🧟♀️ 🧟♂️. The end is close.