Alarming 50% Of Teens Are Hooked to Electronic Gadgets

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Amusement and delight is different from addiction and the latter is something worth to be concerned about, as it can result to some very damaging effects in the long run.

In a recent poll conducted by a non-profit group that provides support for consumers and policymakers in the field of media and technology, Common Sense Media indicated that an alarming 59 percent of teenagers are addicted to their smart gadgets like tablets and smartphones in a survey that involved 1,240 parents with children aged 12 to 18.

The group, referencing their findings from a 2011 review of more than a dozen studies, found that internet addiction could affect at least 25 percent of adolescents and college students in the United States.

The US has not yet looked into the condition as something that could have addiction as a public health concern, as with other countries have already taken action on it.

Among the indications that were considered during the study is that the teens more than 80% of them, checked their phones hourly, while 72% of them ‘need’ to respond to social media messaging and SMS right away.

Almost 40% of the parents have argued daily about their children’s use of these devices while 77% of the parents agree that the children are too distracted and lose their attention and focus instead oc doing other worthwhile activities like studies, household chores, exercising, outdoor activities or even meal times.

One parent, a custodian working for a high school, has noticed that teenagers in school are  like ‘zombies’ without a care in the world especially when they are too engrossed staring at their cell phones and tablet devices.

“You can see them transferring classrooms in between classes with their eyes glued to their phones and walk close to the walls so they could feel where they are going without looking up,” he said.

Behavioural experts and psychologists agree that parents still play a key role in preventing this, by making sure that they set boundaries for their kids, especially on gadget possession and use.

Restrictions need to be strictly in place to ensure that your kids are not left alone to fend for themselves and gets too absorbed in their addiction to cellphones and tablets.

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