Psychiatrists’ research suggests that nearly a quarter of young people have developed an addiction to their smartphones. The study, from King’s College London, says such addictive behaviour means that people become “panicky” or “upset” if they are denied constant access.
Additionally, the youngsters are unable to control how much time they spend on the phone. Such addictions have “serious consequences” for mental health, according to the study. The research, published in BMC Psychiatry, analysed 41 studies involving 42,000 young people in an investigation into “problematic smartphone usage”.
The study found 23% had behaviour that was consistent with an addiction – such as anxiety over not being able to use their phone, not being able to moderate the time spent and using mobiles so much that it was detrimental to other activities.
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“A place to stay” According to the study, this addictive behavior could be linked to other issues like stress, low mood, insufficient sleep, and lower academic achievement. According to Nicola Kalk, a researcher at King’s College London’s Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Neuroscience, one of the authors of the report, “Smartphones are here to stay and there is a need to understand the prevalence of problematic smartphone usage.” “We don’t know whether it is the smartphone itself that can be addictive or the apps that people use,” said Dr Kalk.
“However, there is a need for public awareness regarding the use of smartphones by children and adolescents, and parents ought to be aware of the amount of time their children spend on them.” “There is a need for further investigation into problematic smartphone usage,” co-author Samantha Sohn warned, “can have serious consequences on mental health and day-to-day functioning.” However, Amy Orben, a research fellow at the University of Cambridge’s MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, cautioned against assuming there were direct links between problematic smartphone use and negative outcomes like depression. “It has been shown previously that smartphone effects are not a one-way street, but that mood can impact the amount of smartphone use, as well,” said Dr Orben.
