Phone addiction is a major problem when it comes to teens, especially when they receive phones at an early age like eight or nine. Giving a child a phone can increase the chances of phone addiction as they get older, and also increase the chances of anxiety.
What can fuel a phone addiction? Countless studies have shown that phone activity releases dopamine in our brains, motivating and increasing happiness. When students check an app they posted on and receive likes on, their brain releases dopamine, causing them to want to post more often. This in turn, causes them to check their inbox more and more, creating anxiety.
Signs to look for when dealing with phone addiction are lying about phone usage, loved ones expressing concern, neglecting duties, checking people's profiles due to anxiety, and injury due to phone usage. People who fall victim to phone addiction may experience sensations such as nomophobia, the fear of going without a device, textaphrenia, the fear of missing a message, ringxiety, phantom notifications, and Textiety, feeling anxious about waiting on replies and responding within seconds.
A good way to stop phone addiction is for an adult or even the person themselves to monitor screen time and note how much time they spend on screens each day. This can lead to self-knowledge, which means knowing one's mental states, processes, and dispositions.
When they’ve reached the point of knowing the limits of their phone usage, a student can start setting limits on their device, whether mentally or physically. Mentally, they could put their phone aside and sit for a few minutes doing something else that can distract their mind from that device, such as writing, drawing, reading, cooking, or even dancing. Physically, they could set a screen time limit on their phone. Their phone will shut off when it hits a certain point, or they could set time limits for specific apps. Kalissa Chadwell, a freshman at Lafayette, told The Times, “When I realize I need a break from my phone, all I do is shut off my phone.”
In conclusion, having a phone addiction from a young age can disrupt your life and form harmful habits. While we can still catch these symptoms, we must put ourselves first by limiting how much time we give them. Limiting usage will also teach self-discipline, a crucial habit for becoming a young adult.
