Teen Smartphone Addiction: It’s Physical [Infographic]

Can you read this entire article without checking your phone? Most teens can’t. The majority of teens have a growing smartphone addiction, creating fear or anxiety when not using their devices. Repetitive smartphone use has led to health issues and new medical terminology such as “nomophobia,” “text claw,” and “iPosture.” Unfortunately, many teens text or check social media while they drive, endangering themselves and others.

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Teen Smartphone Addiction: It Gets Physical

Smartphones have been called “the world’s smallest slot machine,” and teens are hooked. 60% of teens will admit they’re addicted, 50% say they couldn’t live without their phone for a week, and 1 in 5 teens will wake up specifically just to check their smartphone for updates or to post status updates. 94% of teens also worry about losing their smartphones and 74% panic when they can’t find their smartphone. Teen smartphone addiction has even led to new medical issues and terminology such as “nomophobia,” “text claw,” and “iPosture.” But the addiction has turned physical. Many teens turn to their smartphones while driving, endangering their lives, and the lives of others simply to send a text message or check their social media accounts. 77% of teens say they’re confident they can text and drive, even though 11 teens die every day because they or someone else was texting during the time of the accident.

Nomophobia: New Medical Terminology

Nomophobia is the fear of being without a mobile phone or the anxiety from sudden loss of cellular connection. The term originated by combining the phrase “no-mobile-phone-phobia.” 77% of United States teens are nomophobic, making it the biggest phobia effecting teens.

How Bad Is It?

Teens are smartphone addicts. 60% of teens even admit it! Additionally:

• 50% of teens say they couldn’t live without their phone for a week      Click to Tweet!
• The average teen spends 3 hours per day on their smartphone          Click to Tweet!
• 1 in 3 teens send at least 100 text messages a day

Most teens constantly access their phone:

• 68% of teens can’t go longer than one hour without checking their phone      Click to Tweet!
• 36% of teens said they couldn’t go more than 10 minutes without checking their phone      Click to Tweet!
• Teens check their phones an average of 74 times a day, or once every 19 minutes

Even worse, regularly checking their phone isn’t enough for many teens. Teens need smartphones by their side all the time, regardless of where they are:

• 89% of teens reach for their phone within 15 minutes of waking
• 87% of teens always have their smartphone at their side, day and night
• 65% of teens sleep with smartphone on or near their bed
• 51% of teens use their smartphone in the bathroom

Smartphones also interrupt sleep. 1 in 5 teens will wake up specifically just to check their smartphone for updates or to post status updates.

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Separation Anxiety

Because teens develop strong emotional connections to their smartphones, they experience anxiety when their smartphones are out of reach. 94% of teens worry about losing their smartphones.

What happens if they misplace their smartphones?

• 74% of teens panic if their smartphone is misplaced
• 14% of teens feel desperate when away from their smartphone
• 7% of teens feel physically ill when away from their smartphone

This anxiety can be classified as withdrawal. Florida State professor Russell Clayton summarized the panic and anxiety:

“We no longer see the phone as just a device. Now we see it as a part of ourselves.”

The Brain Chemistry Behind Smartphone Addiction

Dr. David Greenfield, founder of the Center for Internet and Technology Addiction, explained why smartphones are so addictive:

“Smartphones are essentially the world’s smallest slot machine. … It’s very neurologically addicting. When you get a hit – finding something or hearing from someone, you get an elevation of dopamine, and it compels us to keep checking.”

Dopamine: The Feel-Good Brain Chemical

Smartphones alert users to electronic activity with clever sound effects, music, graphics, messages, and icons; like a slot machine signals a win with the “ching ching ching” sound of coins falling. When the phone sends an alert (a “hit”), the brain releases dopamine—a chemical known to elevate moods. As a person receives more alerts, the brain releases more dopamine, increasing the likelihood of that person repeating the behavior. Thus, the birth of an addiction. This is similar to the classical conditioning or Pavlovian Conditioning physiologist Ivan Pavlov performed during his famous study involving dogs, food, and a bell.

10 Signs of Smartphone Addiction

Baylor University professor James Roberts believes:

“It is incumbent upon researchers to identify the all-important ‘tipping point,’ where cell-phone use crosses the line from a helpful tool to one that enslaves both users and society alike.”

But where is that line? For full “addicted status,” Dr. Greenfield believes smartphone use has to impact major life areas such as: work, academics, home life, and relationships. Below are 10 signs that may indicate a teen is addicted to their smartphone:

1. Looking at their smartphone upon waking and last thing before going to sleep
2. Checking notifications during the night
3. Losing interest in activities that don’t include a smartphone
4. Interrupting face-to-face conversations to answer calls or texts
5. Using their phone to avoid social interaction
6. Turning to their phone when things get awkward
7. Checking their smartphone constantly for no reason
8. Feeling phantom phone vibrations
9. Being on their smartphone during study time, class time, or work
10. Experiencing panic attack or increased anxiety if their phone is left at home

Serious Health Side Effects

Smartphone usage may cause poor posture, creating physical issues such as wear and tear on muscles and joints, and degeneration of musculoskeletal system. It can also create psychological issues such as anxiety, depression, may interrupt sleep patterns, and cause shorter attention spans.

• Anxiety and Depression – Teens crave constant updates and interaction from friends, causing worry, anxiety, and even depression if/when those updates and interactions aren’t received.
• “iPosture” and Text Neck – Poor posture from texting can add up to 50 pounds of pressure on a person’s spine, creating back and neck pain.
• “Text Claw”- “Text Claw” is a term for cramped fingers, wrist, and muscle pain, from repetitive fine motor activity such as continuous texting and scrolling on a smartphone.
• “Cell Phone Elbow” – Prolonged smartphone use may cause aching, burning, numbness, or tingling in the elbow.
• Interrupted Sleep Patterns – Blue light from smartphones can interrupt sleep patterns. Sleep patterns are also interrupted by constant notifications or feeling a need to stay caught up.
• Shorter Attention Span – A recent study found teens have shorter attention spans than goldfish. The average attention span of a goldfish is 9 seconds. The average attention span of a teen is now less than 8 seconds. Teens have many apps and devices they spread their focus across, and try to make the most of each one. By the time you finish this sentence, the average teen will have already lost focus.
• Computer Vision Syndrome – Staring at tiny font on texts and scrolling through content can cause eyestrain, blurred vision, dizziness, and dry eyes. Blue light can also cause damage to the eye’s retina.

Smartphone Addiction Leads to Risky Behavior

Smartphone addiction in teens can lead to risky behavior such as texting while driving. A survey conducted by AT&T found that while 97% of teens agree that texting while driving is dangerous, 43% of those surveyed still text while driving. Interestingly,

• 77% of teens say they are confident they can text on a phone while driving      Click to Tweet!
• 11 teens die every day because either they or someone else was texting while driving      Click to Tweet!
• Teens who text and drive swerve outside of their lane 10% of the time      Click to Tweet!
• A teen driver’s reaction time while using a smartphone is the same as that of a 70-year-old driver who is not using any mobile phone

The risky combination of smartphones and driving goes beyond texting:

• Smartphone-related crashes accounted for 27% of all automotive crashes      Click to Tweet!
• More than 90% of teens admit to posting on social media sites while behind the wheel      Click to Tweet!
• 3 in 4 teens admit they’ve watched a video while driving      Click to Tweet!

Parents Are Concerned

61% of parents worry their teen is spending too much time on their smartphone. Parents are also concerned about what their teen might be doing on their smartphone, who they might be talking to, and what the conversations are about. As a result, parents often set limits on how often their teen uses their smartphone.

What Parents are Doing

• 50% of parents set limits on what time of day their teens may use smartphones
• 25% of parents set text limits on their teen’s smartphone
• 33% of parents inspect teen’s phone content, such as address book, call log, texts, and pictures

Helping Teens Kick the Smartphone Addiction

1. Create “No Phone” Zones – Place phones by the door or charging stations to limit phone use while at home. Consider allowing phones in common areas, but forbid them in bedrooms, bathrooms, or other private areas.
2. Reclaim Family Dinners – Eating at the dinner table allows families to reconnect after a busy day. Add the table to the list of “no phone zones”.
3. Designate Specific Times to Access Smartphones – Enforce a house rule that allows access during certain times only.
4. Monitor a Teen’s Cell Phone Activity – Be upfront and tell your teen you will be monitoring their phone usage and holding them accountable for their time online.
5. Forbid Driving and Texting – Teens are inexperienced drivers and are more likely to be involved in accidents, including fatalities. Block your teens’ smartphones while they are driving.
6. Seek Out Cognitive Behavior Therapy – Addictions are difficult to beat, especially when the stimulant causing addiction surrounds a person daily. Professional counselors and therapists can support teens and help overcome temptations without creating family tension.

While smartphones are a useful tool, overuse may create issues. Teens are developing addictions to their devices, essentially turning smartphones into an extension of themselves. Teens are so hooked, they’re using smartphones while driving, putting their lives and the lives of others at risk. Simple steps can help teens detach from their phone, as can leading by example and showing teens appropriate times and places to use smartphones.