Surveys have shown that mobile devices can be addictive,
particularly for youngsters. Concern has grown to the point where investors are
starting to urge tech firms to take action to address it.
To Ana Homayoun, author of Social Media Wellness, it’s really about the way phone apps are
being used.
“When we think about social media, so much of it is
created on this feedback loop of notification. They want to promote
engagement,” Homayoun said during a CNBC interview.
“They create this system where you always want to be online. And it can create
this fear of missing out if we’re not online.”
Homayoun recommended that parents give younger children a
flip phone for emergency use only. She also suggested that parents establish
times when kids aren’t allowed to use the device, such as in the bedroom at
night, even as an alarm clock. Parents should consider applications that
monitor usage, too.
“Social
media isn’t good or bad, it’s a new tool for communications,” she said. “But
what is a problem is that we as adults don’t fully speak the language that kids
are speaking, and we need to.”