Smart-phone tips

by Heather Armstrong, DNP

Is your child or teen asking for a cell phone? This can be a difficult decision to make with so many factors to consider. While the benefits are pretty obvious to most people, this article focuses more on the negative consequences that aren’t always discussed. 

Your child’s defense may be “but all of my friends have one”. While this may be true it doesn’t mean that they were all ready to have one. You may be tempted to give in to their request knowing that at least you will be able to reach them more easily by text, phone call or by using a tracking app. These sound like great reasons but can also pose problems down the road for you and your child. Being able to find the exact location of your child with just a click of a button is a great safety feature but can promote an environment of distrust, negatively impacting the relationship you have with your child and can affect their ability to make their own decisions while developing their own independence. 

Excessive smartphone usage can negatively impact the mental and physical health of children, teens and even adults. Physically, excessive smartphone use leads to a more sedentary lifestyle leading to obesity, poor posture and overall decline in physical fitness. Mental health is affected causing anxiety, depression and low self esteem. Fear of missing out or FOMO is common in children and teens (and adults!) who have smartphones and social media. This is a phenomenon which causes anxiety about missing out on experiences that others are having. Individuals feel a constant need to be connected with others through social media. Social media creates its own separate hazards and cautions. Children and teens can have phones to stay connected without having social media. 

Studies are finding that the use of smartphones and social media cause an increase in dopamine, the “feel good” chemical,  which is released by the brain when we are anticipating something good, engaging in things that cause happiness, eating and socializing to name a few. This chemical is a reward-seeking neurotransmitter that can cause physical symptoms of withdrawal when we stop doing activities that cause the release. Some of the physical manifestations of withdrawal related to cell phone use can be irritability, anger, sleep disruptions, difficulty concentrating, being very focused on not having the device, including cravings for the device. This can be significant enough to cause relationship problems with friends and family and cause problems at school, work or even with basic self care tasks such as showering.

These are just some of the more important things to consider when making this decision. It is recommended to have an open conversation with your child or teen, setting clear expectations and guidelines and frequently re-evaluating them to identify problems early on. While this article is focused on the negative effects of smartphone use on children and teens, adults are certainly at risk as well. Now may be a good time for you to evaluate your own smartphone use and decide if you should be making changes to better your physical and emotional health. As parents, we are role models for our children, so they may be more likely to use their phones less if you are too. 

There are many benefits of having a smartphone and most likely your child or teen will have one eventually. It is important not to rush the decision and take the time to weigh all the pros and cons.If it is necessary for them to have a way to reach you due to after school activities or sports, there are phones available with only call and text features. This could be a great starter option to see if your child is ready for the responsibility of having a phone. Most smartphones have parental settings that allow you to set up restrictions and time limits. For more guidance during this decision making process you may find this tool helpful. It was developed by  The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) through their partnership with AT+T, which also provides information on how to set controls on other things such as television, gaming and the internet.