A new survey from Common Sense Media reports teens think they may be addicted to their
mobile devices. The poll of 1,240 parents and teens from the same household
found that half of the teens said they were addicted to their device, while
nearly 60% of the parents agreed.
About a third of the kids said they try to reduce the
amount of time they spend using a mobile device and 66% said devices were not
allowed at the dinner table. However, 72% of the teens said they felt it was
necessary to respond to texts, social networking messages, and other notifications
immediately, while 78% said they check their devices hourly.
The parents may be addicted as well, since 48% said
they responded to messages immediately and 69% check their device hourly.
“What
we’ve discovered is that kids and parents feel addicted to their mobile
devices, that it is causing daily conflict in homes, and that families are
concerned about the consequences,” said James Steyer, founder and CEO of Common
Sense, in a report for eSchool News. “We also know that problematic media use can negatively
affect children’s development and that multitasking can harm learning and
performance. As a society, we all have the responsibility to take media use and
addiction seriously and make sure parents have the information to help them
make smart choices for their families.”
