Mobile phones have become an integral part of teens’ lives. For most teens, mobile has been a favorite hub for interaction. In this digital age, everyone owns a mobile phone; even kids are provided with one. As per the researcher, teenagers are mostly affected by digital devices than other age groups. Teenagers have unpredictable and disturbing usage habits on smartphones.
Teen’s age is a periodic age where their body is in a changing process. They will feel changes in their mental thinking, emotional, and physical appearance and even their social life will also change. During these years, teenagers have the abstract capacity to think. They will prepare and accomplish long-term targets over time. Each child will advance at a different pace and have a different mindset or point of view.
In a recent survey in the US, researchers have found that 95% of US teens own smartphones, and nearly 45% of teens are always on the internet. In the survey, teens have admitted that they feel lonely and anxious without their cell phones. Also, in the survey, it was found that more than half of teen girls use cell phones to avoid socialization.
Teens and Mobile Phones Benefits
The mobile phone has made our life convenient, allowing you to call at any time from anywhere. It has started to be an essential need for all of us, and its use has been skyrocketed. With the increase in the use of mobile phones, there are many benefits that you can get. Some of the major benefits of mobile phones for teens are:
Mean to Connect
Cell phones help teenagers to stay connected with their families and friends. With the help of digital devices, teenagers can instantly message and call at any time and whoever they want. Everything we do in our life has been replaced by digital means. Cell phones have made our life easy in connecting people. Even if your friends and families are far from you, you can interact with them.
If your teens are having difficulties in making friends, give them a smartphone. Many social networking sites, such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc., allow your teens to reach out to other teens who share common interests. It will help to boost your teen’s social interaction.
Safety and Security
With the increase in parents concerned about their teens’ safety and security, smartphones provide your teens with security options. You can find many security apps which allow you to track your teens and alert you in an emergency. With the help of digital devices, you can monitor your teen’s real-time location.
Teens can send instant messages or calls to let their parents know where they are and what they are doing. The smartphone comes with GPS or finds my phone features to find your kid’s phones if they lost the mobile phone.
Educational Purpose
As said earlier, everything has been replaced by the digital medium, even the education system. It has also replaced our traditional education, which is also one of the pros of having mobile phones. Teens can download their lectures, assignments, handouts, etc., on mobile phones. They can open learning material that they have downloaded on their phone and learn anytime and anywhere they want.
If teens find any difficulties while solving problems, they can look at online tutorials, e-learning platforms and can solve their queries. Many things can be done to excel teen education through smart devices.
Tech-savvy
The future is technology and allowing adolescents access to a mobile phone will boost learning new skills. While you do not understand all the applications and social media sites that your adolescents have, it will help them discover and experience new developments. Mobile phones also help to develop their creativity and other asset activities. So, smartphones will help your teen to be tech-savvy.
Entertainment Source
Many people use their smartphones only for work purposes, while more than half of the smartphone users use their smartphones mostly for entertainment purposes. You can download games, music, movies, books, and many other materials for your entertainment.
A game with the development task will help adolescents enhance their problem-solving, decision-making, and multitasking abilities. Some researchers have also found that playing limited games will reduce depression, stress, and anxiety.
Teens can watch funny videos, movies, and much helpful content to find their amusement. They can download and make a playlist of their music according to their mood. Moreover, if your kids are interested in music, they can even make their own music.
However, you should make sure that your young adolescents don’t make mobile devices a primary entertainment source.
Teens and Mobile Phones Dangers
With the benefit of mobile phones on teenagers, mobile phones also have some adverse effects on teens. Not only have mobile phones made our life easier, but they also bring several challenges. Smartphones have immense effects on teens and their development; some of the main dangers of mobile phones on teens are:
Mobile Addiction
Mobile phone addiction has been one of the main dangers of mobile devices. Teens are using digital devices excessively, which leads them to phone addiction which is also known as screentime addiction. The term used to define mobile addiction is “nomophobia,” a mental disorder where teenagers can’t imagine life without smartphones.
They will also tend to use mobile devices frequently and can’t spend a minute without digital devices. They will also have to face many health issues due to mobile addiction.
Cyberbullying
This is also the main danger of mobile phones that most teenagers go through. With the increase in smartphone use, physically bullying at school has moved to online, where teenagers bully their peers using their devices.
Cyberbullying is one of the most popular incidents that happen to people using digital phones, especially among teenagers. Smartphones allow teenagers to threaten their peers and classmates.
The Majority of teens bully their friends or other people for their entertainment. Even the teenagers who bully others will also be the victims of cyberbully. Cyberbullying may lead teens to think about suicide as they will have to go through many issues and complications.
Health Complication
Excessive use of mobile phones causes back, neck, and eyesight problems which have been the major issue of many teenagers. As teens will use mobile facing downwards, they start to face neck problems.
Teenagers can spend hours sitting in one place and using their mobile phones. Due to which your teen can face obesity and muscular pain due to lack of exercise.
Even during sleeping time, they use mobile devices, and sometimes they use their devices all night, which can cause sleep deprivation. It will also affect their eyesight causing problems like redness, dry eyes, blurred vision, and many more. Teens also have to face many mental complications like anxiety, depression, stress, and anger.
Distraction
As digital devices are the main source of distraction. The majority of vehicle accidents are caused by the use of digitals phones while driving.
Teens use mobile devices every time wherever they go. They use digital devices in the classroom while eating, driving, or talking, distracting them.
Even while studying or doing the assignment, the mobile phone will distract you from the activities, and you will not be able to focus on your work.
Why are Teenagers Addicted to Their Mobile phones?
Mobile phones provide a platform to exchange communication, view content, play games, share interests, and many more. The mobile devices are so compatible that all your daily activities can be done through smartphones. The complex relationships between young adolescents and technology are no big secret.
Digital devices have been a necessity to teens where they can imagine their life without the devices. Teens are using cell phone devices excessively. Even the apps that are developed to reduce stress or anxiety in teens are also connected to smartphones.
They use mobile phones for their learning and research purposes; they watch tutorial videos and gain an education. It also helps them to improve their academics. Teens also use mobile devices for making new friends on social media for interaction and playing games for entertainment purposes. There are anything and everything on their mobile devices because teenagers are getting addicted to their mobile devices.
Sign of Mobile Phones Addiction in Teens
As a family member or parent, knowing the signs and symptoms is the best way to support your teen from cell phone addiction. It helps to prevent your teen from the danger of addiction. The Signs of Mobile Phones Addiction in Teens are:
Spending Time on Mobile Phones
If you find your teens using mobile devices very often, then he/she is addicted to mobile phones. They tend to spend more time alone and isolate themselves from others. If the teens are using mobile excessively while hanging with friends and families, then these are the symptoms of digital device addiction.
Mood Swing
Mood swing is also a sign of mobile phone addiction among teenagers. But parents may not be able to identify their kid’s phone addiction as, during teenage, kids usually have a mood swing.
Suppose your kids show aggressive behavior if their phone is misplaced and their mood changes as soon as they get their phone, then it’s a sign that your kids can be addicted to their phone. Also, if you restrict your teens from device usage, they will immediately react to that situation.
Sleep Disturbance
The majority of teens use mobile devices at bedtime, due to which their sleeping pattern gets disturbed. If your teens use their devices all night and are having difficulties while sleeping, they get addicted to smartphones.
If your teen is facing sleep disturbance, then they can face both mental and physical issues. Your child can face issues like insomnia, depression, obesity, reduces immunity, etc., when their sleeping pattern gets disturbed.
Switching Multiple Programs and Devices
Switching between several apps and multiple activities is common with adolescents since smartphones have many features that make this possible. Smartphones can also share screens, enabling users to access 3 to 4 pages or apps simultaneously. If you find switching multiple apps on your teen’s devices, then it’s a sign of addiction.
Checking Mobile Phone in the Morning
It’s also the major symptom of mobile addiction in young adolescents. The first thing that every teen does when waking up in the morning is to check their phone. They don’t even wash their face or be fresh before checking their phone. They will put their phone side or near the sleeping bed.
Teens and Mobile Phones Rules
It can be a little difficult to set mobile phone guidelines for your teenagers. Technology also evolves so dramatically that modern computers, social networking platforms, and applications can also be difficult to manage. It’s important to set the rule for teen mobile devices use. The mobile phones rules for teens are as follows:
No Mobile Phones Use in the early Morning.
The majority of teens use mobile as soon as they wake up early in the morning. Many teenagers don’t have time before school, and social media chatting and browsing will lose many important minutes. To begin the day right by saying, “No phones in the morning.” Set a rule for your teen to do other activities in the morning and prioritize other important activities for them.
No Mobile at Family Dinner
At dinners, don’t let anyone use their mobile, which can set an example for teenagers not using their devices. You should be a good role model for your teens. Parents should also try to maximize their device usage at family dinners.
Don’t respond when you’re eating to text messages or emails when you are at the dining table. Make sure you teach your teen the right digital etiquette. Mobile isn’t allowed while doing family activities, and while interacting, teens shouldn’t be allowed to use cell phones.
No Mobile During School Work or Homework
Most teens always put their digital phones in front while doing assignments or homework, and they always get distracted. When they keep their device while studying, they can’t focus on their work. If someone’s messages on their cell phones, they tend to be responsive as much as possible. Therefore, you need to set limits on their screen time during homework, particularly if your teen’s grades are impaired.
No Mobile at Bed Time
This is also the main problem that teens use mobile at bedtime. Their parents think that they are sleeping, but in reality, they will be using digital devices for a longer time before going to sleep. Establish the rule not to use phones while going to bed. Make sure they turn off their mobile devices before they go to bed.
No Mobile Phone While Driving
The majority of teens suffer from minor or severe car accidents while driving and using their mobile phones simultaneously. Teens send a text messages and use social networking sites while driving. You may have heard many road accidents that occurred while teens were driving and going live on social media at the same time.
It would be best if you made your kids aware of the consequences of using a mobile phone while driving. Establish the rule of stoping their vehicle when they want to pick up the call, make a call, or while sending or reading text messages.
Conclusion
Therefore, teens and mobile phones are correlated with each other. Teen cell phone devices have harmful side effects and have benefits that may be useful in the future. Nowadays, most teens are getting addicted to digital devices because they need mobile phones for all their activities. You can prevent the upcoming threats by knowing the sign of mobile addiction in adolescents.
If you find any changes and signs of these addictions in your teen, you can take measure action and help them get rid of mobile addiction. Make sure you establish a rule for your teen device usage. They won’t be addicted to smartphones and help keep them safe from mobile phones’ danger.
