A complaining parent about a kid’s screen time addiction is normal but a complaining teen who feels helpless about his habit of increased screen time is more worrisome.
Seeing the global teen-trend of smartphone addiction, parents are concerned about their children’s overall health. In fact, they keep track of online current trends so they can be aware of teen screen obsessions. Also, parents try hard to rectify their kids’ device habits.
But a new twist in this scenario is, a teen’s worry about his helplessness. Teens are unable to fix their worries and issues regarding their habit of tech addiction.
Pew’s Research On Teen’s Phone Addiction
Pew’s newest research implies that teens are self-aware about the problem, but are unable to follow disciplinary measures. A few significant points of this research are mentioned below. The sample size included 743 US teens and 1,058 US parents of teens.
- Teenage is a phase wherein neurobiological and hormonal changes make teens feel a strong desire to be loved and to get validated by others. Around 44% of teens say that they check their phone soon after waking up and they check in frequently during the day to surf on social media platforms.
- While parents want to treat teens’ smartphone addiction, teens love it as these platforms satisfy their hormonal and psychological needs.
- Another interesting fact is -girls spend more time on social media than boys (47% vs. 35%).
- 42% of the teens accepted that they feel anxiety when they do not have access to phones for a long period of time.
- Around two-thirds of parents (65%) say they feel worried about their teen’s addiction to technology.
- Many parents (57%) say they set limits on their kids. While their teens spend much time on phones, parents imply strict rules and use kid’s safety apps.
How To Know If Your Teen Has Smartphone Addiction?
The habit of using devices is normal in today’s time. But how to identify when habits become an obsession? Ask these questions to your teen or simply observe their tech addiction, if the majority of the answers are YES, consider them as red flags.
6 Red Flags To Phone Addiction
- Do you think your teens spend much time on phones and are least bothered about other general life activities?
- Are they so glued to the devices that they can’t cope with the normal routine? One more game or one more social media post always makes them late for their schedule.
- Do you feel a kid’s overall physical and emotional health is being compromised due to his excessive screen time usage?
- Do they feel irritated if they are restricted to use the device for long hours?
- Despite establishing strict rules on screen time usage, are they breaking it and lying with you just to indulge in device scrolling habits?
- Ask teens if screen time addiction is their compulsion. Do they find it hard to control?
How Can Parents Help?
The good news in the parental world is teens admit their tech addiction but the bad news is the helplessness when it comes to rectifying this obsession. This is the best time parents can intervene and support teens to limit screen time.
Use Kids’ Safety App
Parents should start using kids’ safety apps such as Bit Guardian Parental Control to limit kid’s excessive screen time.
It is one of the most effective ways to help teens improve their device obsession. Screen time control features of this app certainly reduce teen’s tech addiction.
A Perfect Way To Safeguard Your Digital Kids
- Screen Time Control Features
- Location Tracking And Geo-Fencing
- App Block And App Install Block
- Panic Alert and SOS Button
- Anti-Theft Feature
Make Teens Aware Of Cyber Crimes
Prolonged screen hours can invite digital dangers. Increased cybercrimes are alarming and kids are easy to trap, for online predators. Parents should know how to protect teens from cybercrimes and also discuss it with teens.
Explain The Importance Of Real Life Over Virtual Life
Teens crave virtual social engagements. If you want to limit teens’ screen time explain to him the importance of real-life relations. Try to be part of his sports activities or weekend outings.
Resolve Teen’s Worries About Smartphone Addiction
Communication is the base of any relationship. At times teen feels weak and no matter how hard he tries to control he wants to go back to the same old habit of prolonged device usage.
Improve your communication with your kid and encourage him to limit device time with positive affirmations. Open communication with nurturing words can help him relax his anxieties.
Screen time addiction can be a root cause of many issues. Nip it in the bud and encourage the teens that they can do it with their strong will power.
