In just over a decade, smartphones have become an essential part of our lives, especially for adolescents. According to the Pew Research Center, while 77 percent of American adults have a smartphone, that number soars to 95 percent among teens.
Oddly, though, a device that is universally thought to better connect people may be having the opposite effect, at least among teenagers. Several recent surveys (taken before the pandemic) seem to show that since 2012 loneliness, depression, and incidents of self-harm increased sharply among adolescents in the U.S., Canada, and the U.K.
The research is finding a marked correlation between the rise of smartphone use and loneliness, a recognized predictor of depression and mental health issues.
Avoiding real life
The problem seems tied to whether people use their smartphones to lead to real-life interaction with others or whether it serves as a replacement for personal interaction.
One study compared smartphone use to opioid addiction.
“The behavioral addiction of smartphone use begins forming neurological connections in the brain in ways similar to how opioid addiction is experienced by people taking Oxycontin for pain relief: gradually,” Erik Peper, the study’s co-author and professor of health education at San Francisco State University, said in a news release.
Every notification on a person’s phone sparks a release of endorphins, leading to behavior that seeks more such rewards. And the algorithms of social media are designed to make that happen.
“More eyeballs, more clicks, more money,” said Peper.
But overuse can not only lead to depression and loneliness but affect sleep and grades, as well. Smartphones also enable cyberbullying.
What to do about it
Because smartphones are universal, it’s not possible to ban them. But you can teach your teen or tween that there’s life outside of them.
- Encourage your teen to engage in face-to-face interactions with peers and family as often as possible.
- Set limits on smartphone use: during family meals, at least an hour before bed, during homework, when you have company, etc.
- Turn off push notifications of incoming texts, posts, etc.
- Set an example by limiting your own smartphone use, especially around them.
