They’re a health risk, they’re detrimental for our eyesight and make our neck hurt. Yet, we use them every single day. That’s right: our smartphones.
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Smartphones pose a risk of addiction
We cannot think of a world without smartphones and children or teenagers stare at their screens all day long.According to Mandy Saligari, an expert working in a rehab clinic, however, this can get very dangerous. She warns that Instagram, Snapchat etc. have a high risk of addiction. Saligari told the Independent:
I always say to people: ‘If you’re handing your child a smartphone or tablet, you’re actually handing them a bottle of wine or a gram of cocaine.'
Are bans the solution?
We underrate the smartphone when it comes to addictions. But intensive smartphone use among children can lead to a lack of concentration and hyperactivity. Saligari observes that most of the patients in addiction clinics are actually between the age of 16 and 20.
Nowadays, even three-year-olds spend an average of six hours per week with a smartphone. That’s a shocking figure.
Considering these dangers, we should be aware of the risk of addiction that smartphones pose, especially when it comes to teenagers. Addiction is discussed very often, but only in terms of drugs and alcohol. Few people think about smartphones. Parents and their children still have to learn about the proper use of smartphones.
Bans are not the solution though, it is much more sensible to agree on certain breaks in which the entire family is 'offline.'
