- According to a survey by Pew Research Center, 25 percent of adult Americans had smart phones in 2011. Fast forward a year, and that percentage is now up to 45 — this number includes almost half of all U.S. adults, and it surpasses those who have regular cell phones. Teens are following right behind adults, but are teens becoming addicted to smart phones?
- SIGNSofADDICTION
- Addiction is commonly defined as something that interferes with you living your life. Some examples include the following:
- Inability to keep a job because of the addiction.
- Harmed and/or lost relationships as a result of lying to justify the chosen addiction.
- Positive growth such as staying healthy, creating healthy relationships, and progressing in life are all made secondary to the habit.
- So when it comes to your teen's "addiction" to their cell phone, it probably isn’t a true addiction, per se. But according to a study done by Intersperience in the UK, 60 percent of teens would feel anxious if they didn't have their phone and would rather live without Facebook, chocolate, and TV than without their phone
- WHAT CAN UR TEEN DO
To ensure phone usage doesn’t become an addiction, here are some things teens can do to prevent excessive use -- even if they have the latest, greatest smart phone or a T-Mobile no contract phone.
Respect Conversations With Others: Texting and tweeting shouldn't come between real human contact, thus being distracted by a phone can harm relationships.
Never use the phone in the car, especially while driving: This is a given, but distracted driving is one of the leading causes of accidents and deaths on the roadway. If your teen learns not to use the phone in the car, a lot of tragedy can be avoided.
Learn To Recognize Bad Habits: One reason teens turn to smart phones is boredom, causing this behavior to become a habit. Realizing this can help your teen resist checking their phone out of habit
