Hello. Is anyone reading this blog a parent with a child and is worried about how mobile phones may affect them? Or are there parents here who are already in the position where their children have been negatively effected by mobile phones, and now they don’t know what to do? Maybe some of you are simply curious, and would like to have a read, for the ‘just in case’ scenario. Or maybe some of you are not parents, and are enquiring young minds, curious of how your developing brain may be effected by mobile phones.
Regardless of who you are and what your position is on the matter, thank you for joining me here today.
To start to look at the problem, one needs to first go to the beginning of mobile phones.
Believe it or not, but the first mobile handheld mobile phone was actually demonstrated by Martin Cooper of Motorola in New York City on the 3rd of April 1973, using a handset weighing 2 kilograms, or 4.4 lbs. It was in 1979 that Nippon Telegraph and Telephone (NTT) launched the world’s first cellular network in Japan. In 1983, the DynaTAC 8000x was the first commercially available mobile phone. From 1983 to 2014, worldwide mobile phone subscriptions grew to over 7 billion. Today, mobile phones are almost everywhere, and it could be argued that up to 90% of the populations owns or has owned at least one mobile phone.
It could be argued that mobile phones really came into their own when they evolved from a simple handset to smartphones. A smartphone, put simply, is a mobile phone device that combines the functionality of a traditional mobile phone with advanced computing capabilities once relegated to large computers that once would fill up a room. Smartphones are now capable of so many things, from taking pictures, to being a GPS navigator, to browsing the internet, paying for things, and even watching videos.
It is no surprise then, that with an advanced piece of technology so easily accessible and with so many features, that more and more people would be using them, and with people exposed to them from a younger age, not only would they become more used to them, but they would also become more reliant on them.
If you are my age or thereabouts, you will remember how we used to remind ourselves. We would keep a diary, or we would use a wall calendar. Some of us still do this (I know I still do). Now smartphone devices have calendars, reminders,and prompts.
You may also remember how we used to entertain ourselves. We would see what was on TV, we would rent a VHS, we would listen to the radio, or play a tape or CD. All of these actions involved having to access and sometimes travel to a place to locate and utilise this form of entertainment, something that is happening less and less today.
Even the cinema is dying a slow death, beaten by extortionate ticket prices and more streaming services. But that’s a different matter for a different blog.
With smartphones, if you want to watch a video, its there, accessible on your phone. You don’t need to travel anywhere. If you want to listen to a song, its on your smartphone.
And if you want to interact with a global community via social media, you are only a button away from engaging with anyone at any time.
Being a man of science, I am curious how this technology effects people, and I am not the only one. Extensive research and discussion has already been done, and continues to be done, about how smartphones affect us in several ways, from psychological to emotional to physical.
Preliminary data from an Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) study found that increased screen time, including time spent on cell phones, can affect a child’s psychology, thinking patterns, sleep cycles, and behaviour, shortening their attention span and potentially encouraging violent or aggressive behaviour.
Video: Property of ABC News and YouTube
According to the National Institute for Health and Care Research, teenagers with problematic smartphone use are twice as likely to have anxiety. Problematic smartphone use, or PSU, describes behaviours and thinking linked to smartphones that resemble addiction, and a child and or teenager may show the following types of behaviours:
• feeling panicky when the phone is unavailable.
• finding it difficult to control the amount of time spent on the phone.
• be using the phone for longer without feeling satisfied.
• using the phone instead of doing meaningful activities they enjoy.
According to a study published in BMJ Mental Health, in analysing the relationship between anxiety, depression and sleep in students aged between 13 and 16 in the UK, of a sample group of 69 participants of those with PSU, 44.4% exhibited symptoms of moderate to severe anxiety compared with 26.4% of those without PSU. Increased anxiety, depression and inability to sleep were seen in participants as their PSU score increased over time (Carter et al, 2022).
Whilst this only accounts for a small test group, from reading of parent and guardian accounts of how they have seen their children effected by mobile phone use, it can be argued that mobile phones do have an effect on the emotional and psychological development of young minds.
It can also be argued that the pandemic may have also had a role to play in the increased use of mobile phones. In a study published by JAMA Pediatrics (2022), in assessing changes in child and adolescent screen time during the COVID-19 pandemic, it was found that the time that children spent staring at their phones rose 52% over a 3 year period.
For some of you though, this may not be new, and the question that many of you may be, ‘How do I help my child?’
Strategies to reduce smartphone usage.
Further analysis revealed that some few strategies for reducing smartphone use are more effective than others.
Most effective strategies
• putting smartphones on “Do Not Disturb.”
• turning off notifications
• leaving the smartphone in another room at bedtime
Least effective strategies
• restricting access to specific apps
• using a locked box during revision
• turning on greyscale
Professor Ben Carter, Professor of Medical Statistics at King’s IoPPN and the first author of both studies, said:
“Adolescent smartphone use is a huge concern for parents and carers. We found that problematic smartphone use was linked with anxiety, depression, and insomnia across two separate adolescent age groups using two different research methods. By revealing the link between problematic use of smartphones and poorer mental health, and demonstrating that young people are aware of this problem and are eager to manage their use, these studies highlight the need for evidence-based interventions to help adolescents struggling with difficult behaviours around their smartphone use.”
These findings should help parents talk with o their teens about the pros and cons of smartphones and ways to reduce their use.
Having an open dialogue with a teenager can be difficult and painful, but if you come at it from the angle that you love them and the strategies you are putting in place are not out of spite or malicious, and that you genuinely care for their wellbeing, a conversation can hopefully begin.
Thank you for joining me here today. I can appreciate if this may be a difficult or triggering discussion. If you have found this useful or enlightening, or if you have any concerns, please discuss with a local GP about signposting for appropriate services to help your young person.
References:
• How Do Cell Phones Affect a Child’s Brain? Cell Phone Radiation. Author, Dr Jasmine Shaikh, 2024.
• Teenagers with problematic smartphone use are twice as likely to have anxiety | NIHR, Author, NIHR, 2024.
• ‘There’s more to life than staring at a small screen’: a mixed methods cohort study of problematic smartphone use and the relationship to anxiety, depression and sleep in students aged 13–16 years old in the UK | BMJ Mental Health, Authors, Carter et al, 2022.
• Assessment of Changes in Child and Adolescent Screen Time During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis | Adolescent Medicine | JAMA Pediatrics | JAMA Network, Authors, Madigan et al, 2022.
Closing
Thank you for taking the time to read my blog, and if you know of anyone who may benefit from / appreciate the blog, please recommend it to them as well. And if you are feeling low and struggling with your mental health, there is help out there and help available. Talk to your GP. Freephone Samaritans 116 123 or NHS 111.
There is help out there. You are not alone.
Remember: it’s a journey. It will take time. Have patience in the process. You will get there. Until then, stay happy, stay healthy, and have a lovely time wherever you are on the planet. And remember: love yourself. And others.
Greg
A bit about the author:
I am a guy who is just over 40 and is sharing a journey of wellness and well-being. I am also a mental health professional with a wealth of years of experience in supporting individuals who have challenging mental illnesses and personality disorders. I am also working in the field of neurodiversity, diagnosing and prescribing medication. I hope to take all of my past years of experience and give you helpful and informative content.
In my current role, I am a person looking to support the physical and mental health and well-being of the individual. Don’t think of me as a motivational coach or speaker. Think of me more as a wellness guide, as I use my mental health training and experience to suggest and advise ways to enhance your wellness and well-being. If you are struggling with your mental health though, please seek advice from a medical professional such as your GP.
