Has a teacher or parent ever told you that you’re addicted to your phone?
If you are a teenager, you might have heard this many times but, the truth is, people love using their phones; but they might be using it too much. A lot of people say they are phone addicts and are on their phones all day. But is this a problem? Can someone actually be addicted to their phone?
Are phones actually addictive?
According to Annie Sneed of The New York Times, “Phone or screen overuse isn’t officially recognized as an addiction (or a substance use disorder, as experts call it) in the American Psychiatric Association’s official manual of mental disorders. But ‘there is a growing number of mental health specialists who recognize that people can get addicted to their smartphones,’ said Dr. Anna Lembke, an addiction expert and a professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Stanford University.”
Adding on to this thinking that people might be addicted to their phones, is information from Alex Kerai of Reviews.org. According to Kerai, “More than half of Americans (56.9%) told Reviews.org that they are addicted to their cell phone.” In his article on Americans’ cell phone use, Kerai found some telling statistics: including “Americans check their phones 144 times per day;” “60% sleep with their phone at night;” and “69% have texted someone in the same room as them before.”
While experts are still figuring out whether phones are truly addictive, many people have already come to realize that they are dependent on their phone, though some don’t realize the impact it might be having on them.
Signs of Cell Phone Addiction/Dependence
According to Addiction Center, an informational web guide that helps people who are struggling, signs of addiction/dependence are “Isolation from loved ones; A feeling of lack of connection; Angry or irritated if phone use is interrupted; Getting up at night to check a phone; Reaching for the phone the moment they are alone or bored.”
Paint Branch senior Bereket Debebe says that he feels that he is addicted to his phone in a way. Bereket says, “I know I can put my phone down and stop using it, but I can’t. I know I should do it; but it’s part of my routine and it’s hard to stop.”
Dangers of Cell Phone Addiction/Dependence
There are a number of ways in which cell phones affect people negatively.
The National Safety Council (NSC) notes that one of the most dangerous uses is using one’s cell phone while driving–something that is a clear issue for Americans. NSC reports that “more than 3,000 people died in distraction-affected crashes in 2020; that is an average of nearly nine people dying in a distracted driving-related crash every single day on American roads.”
In addition to the dangers of driving while using one’s phone there are a number of emotional areas of concern. Lawrence Robinson and Melinda Smith, in their article “Smartphone and Internet Addiction”, report that dependence on smartphones can result in a number of issues including “Increasing loneliness and depression, Increasing stress, and Disturbing your sleep.” They also note that, “users, especially teens, tend to compare themselves unfavorably with their peers on social media, promoting feelings of loneliness and depression.”
How to Handle/Manage Cell Phone Addiction/Dependence
According to Sneed from The New York Times, people should find ways to distance or separate themselves from their phones. Sneed says, “That might mean allotting times of the day or days of the week when you don’t use your phone at all, such as before and after work. It may also mean leaving your phone in the other room, keeping it out of your bedroom, or putting everyone’s phone in a box outside of the kitchen during dinnertime.”
PB English teacher Mrs. Kelel feels that she can manage her phone use. She notes that if she found that she was on an app for a long period of time, she would delete the app and not get it back for a while. She says, “If I feel like I have been using my phone for a long time, I would put down my phone somewhere else so I don’t feel tempted to use it.”