In this article we will discuss the concept of teenage cell phone addiction.
Today, 8 out of 10 young people own a cell phone, which they consult an average of 50 times a day.
Just like Christine, your child has just entered college. Christine is very worried and tells us how much time her son spends on his cell phone.
After recognizing the different symptoms of addiction, this very worried mom turned to us and our professional coach.
These days there are teenagers who go beyond the limits of a "normal" connection, so we refer to the act of addictive behaviour.
We are faced with an Internet addiction which is becoming more and more developed among adolescents, with the rupture and loss of all contact with reality, confides Claire Rogers, Life Coach, specialist in addictions.
Here is a list of the possible behaviors that your teenager may have developed, with so-called abusive use of his smartphone.
If you find four kinds of behavior when taking an honest look at this list, then you can consider that your child has a problem:
• Anxiety.
• Isolation.
• Unexplained anger and tendency for annoyance
• Radical weight shift.
• Issues with food hygiene.
• Quality of sleep.
• Repeated fatigue.
• Mood swings.
• Facial expression.
• Your child quickly moves away from activities he finds enjoyable
• Your teenager becomes introverted.
• Low self esteem.
• Lying
• Hearing problems including ringing in the ears.
• Memory loss.
• Tingling of the skin.
• Problems of Concentration .
Why does my child have this addiction?
Young people these days are growing up at a time when cell phone use is a part of everyday life, and they are at a fragile age, where they can become addicted to their smartphones. In the eyes of a teenage child, the cell phone is his or her life companion, there is simply no way to part with it! Your child will do whatever he or she thinks! Some children will even go so far as to use it in the shower! Thanks to advances in technology, young people can afford everything: phone calls, texting night and day, taking photos and selfies, listening to music, playing games surfing the internet and being in contact with their friends through social networks.
What are the Solutions?
In our digital age, it's almost impossible to avoid using the Internet or smartphone apps. Many people compare smartphone addiction to food addiction. Oh yes! We do need technology to function in the modern world. But what can be done?
• Enforce “no phone” zones: You may want to consider banning the phone in bedrooms, bathrooms or other private areas.
• Observe and watch the activity on your child’s phone: informing him or her, this will make him pr her more responsible for his or her actions.
• Children can be prohibited from using their phones during school hours and during homework.
• Set time slots: give your teenage child permission to use their smartphone between 35 to 40 minutes at a time.
• No phone at bedtime: ask your child to turn off his phone before he or she spends 2 hours on the social networks!
• Your teenage child should always answer you when you call him or her, but you hit voicemail and you worry, your child tells you that it is because of the battery that the phone has switched off. To ensure your rights, buy your child a backup battery for their phone which has an autonomy of 4 hours. Your teenage child will henceforth be available upon leaving school or during the evening.
• Communicate with your child: Communication is a preventive measure that will allow you to renew family links with them.
Today we perform our most daily tasks in a virtual world. Just like children, adults do not escape this system, despite a more developed sense of morals. Studies have shown that adults, in addition to internet addiction, have compulsive buying tendencies, so that they end up with an empty bank account!
