In today’s world, teenagers are often consumed by their hectic schedules, never-ending hours of school, and other demands such as work, homework, sports, and other extra-curricular activities. Most teenagers claim they have no time throughout the day to rest, relax, and do things that they want to do in their freetime. The average teenager is said to waste approximately 3 hours on their smartphone per day, cutting into the time they could use to complete certain tasks. Is the smartphone dilemma one of the main reasons why teenagers are so exhausted with the demands of today’s world?
In a recent CNN poll, Kelly Wallace broke down the cell phone addiction that go on in a teenager’s world. According to the poll’s results, 50 percent of students are addicted to their cell phones and 72 percent of teens feel the need to respond to a text or social media alert instantly.
In the same poll, parents were challenged to think about their own teenagers and how their smartphones impact their lives. 52 percent of parents try to cut down on the amount of times their children spend on their smartphones and 66 percent feel their teen spends too much time on devices. 36 percent of parents also feel that they argue with their teenagers about procrastination on their smartphones on a daily basis. Many families feel that the use of a smartphone is tearing their family apart since their kids are spending more time locked away in their rooms than spending quality family time together.
Richard G. Scott said, “Many of us have a personal electronic device that fits into our pocket. We are seldom without its company; we may refer to it many times a day. Unfortunately, these devices can be a source of filth and wasted time.”
Many parents question when to draw the line and say enough is enough to turn off the devices. At Black Hills High School in Washington, 9 students gave up their devices for a week to see how their lives were impacted during that period of time. In case of an emergency, the students were given flip phones. The results of the experiment were astounding as the group of teenagers were doing their chores, finishing their homework early, and going to sleep earlier causing them to feel healthier.
Physically, mentally, and emotionally, teenagers are addicted to small devices that end up making a huge impact on their lives. 95 percent of the time, this negative impact causes procrastination, concentration issues, vision problems, and family destruction. Often times a student’s body is in the classroom, but their mind is stuck inside their cell phone.
