Signs Your Teen Has a Phone Addiction

Cell phones play a significant role in the lives of teenagers with 95% of adolescents today having access to a phone. It seems that almost everything they do involves these devices, from communication and social media to school-related apps. It might feel like your teen never takes a break from their phone. But what happens when they can't take a break?

Phone addiction is common among teenagers, and it's linked to both mental and physical health and safety concerns. Are you wondering if your teen has a problem? Read on to learn the signs of phone addiction in teens and how you can help them break free of the hold their devices have on them.

What Is Teen Phone Addiction?

Phone addiction is one type of technology addiction. According to the American Psychiatric Association, technology addiction involves "excessive use of technology that leads to problems and distress." Furthermore, "when a person is addicted to technology, these activities are done to avoid or alleviate feelings of anxiety or irritability, rather than for fun and recreation."

While smartphones make our lives easier, there's a cost to that convenience. They are designed to be difficult to live without and challenging to put down. People living with a phone addiction are constantly staring at their phone screens. When device time is causing someone to neglect and ignore other aspects of their life, such as relationships in real life and school and work obligations, they may have an addiction.

Who Is at Risk for Phone Addiction?

With smartphone use at an all-time high among all age groups, you may be wondering who is more likely to develop an addiction. Phone addiction is more common among the following groups of users:

• People who participate in online gambling or sports betting
  
• Daily users of social media such as Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok
• Players of mobile games and puzzles
• Individuals with certain personality traits, including extroversion, neuroticism, or impulsiveness

Adolescents within these groups are particularly at risk, as their brains are still developing and smartphones play such a significant part in their lives. They often have to rely on them for school tasks, but they may also use their phones as their primary mode of communication with peers, whether through messaging or social media. Alongside the more productive uses of mobile technology, there are many more non-productive ones in which your teenager can become lost.

Teen Phone Addiction Signs

We all know someone who always seems glued to their phone. But what separates a teen who looks at or taps on their phone a lot from one who may have an addiction?

Currently, there's no clinical method to diagnose phone addiction, and it doesn't fit into the standard classification of mental health disorders outlined by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.

With no set criteria that establish healthy from unhealthy phone usage, education consultant Monique Hicks, CAPSW, suggests that parents be aware of the specific warning signs indicating that typical phone use has turned into an addiction.

Physical signs

• Sleep disruption: A change in sleeping patterns or routine and over-tiredness during the daytime
• Neck tension: Complaints of neck tightness or pain in the upper back that is indicative of "tech neck"
• Eye fatigue and strain: You may notice your teen having frequent headaches or complaining of blurred vision

Behavioral signs

• Signs of withdrawal: Anti-social behavior towards friends and family or not wanting to do things with others
• Compulsive usage: Spending longer durations of time on their phone and not taking breaks
• Failure to fulfill responsibilities: Not completing tasks or ignoring commitments could be a sign your teen is prioritizing phone time
• Frenetic behavior on the device: Switching quickly and constantly between multiple devices and programs
• Loss of control: Inability to separate from the device even with intention

Emotional signs

• Difficulty regulating emotions: Showing anger when phone is removed or usage is interrupted
• Lack of focus: Inability to focus on one thing at a time when separated from device
  
• Anxiety and agitation: Fear of missing out (FOMO) when off the phone
• Depression: Feelings of isolation and loneliness without the device

How Phone Addiction Affects Teens' Health and Safety

As the first generation of children exposed to smartphones throughout adolescence enters adulthood, the risks posed by excessive device use are becoming more apparent. Phone addiction is associated with harmful impacts on teens' health and safety.

Mental health effects

A mounting body of research finds a correlation between phone addiction and mental health challenges. Young people who use phones excessively are more likely to experience the following mental health consequences:

• General and social anxiety: Research shows phone addiction is a predictor of anxiety disorders as adolescence gives way to adulthood.
• Loneliness and depression: Addictive phone use causes teens to retreat from social interactions with family, friends, and peer groups. Meaningful relationships decline, and feelings of isolation and loneliness can develop.
• Attention deficit: Excessive phone use correlates with impaired attention, reduced numerical processing capacity, and increased impulsivity and hyperactivity.

Physical health effects

Phone addiction has both short- and long-term effects on a teenager's physical health and well-being. Here are some:

• Decreased physical fitness: Research shows that phone addiction is higher in those who are less physically active, and alternatively, high phone usage promotes a more sedentary lifestyle, which carries a further set of health risks, such as heart disease and certain cancers.
• Physical discomfort: Excessive phone time can cause neck and back pain and impact ocular health by causing eye strain and nearsightedness.
• Sleep deprivation: Too much time on the phone can result in poor sleep quality and quantity. Use at nightime can especially impact getting a good night's sleep. Studies show that the later teens are on their phones at night, the later they fall asleep.
  

Effects on safety

In addition to negative impacts on mental and physical health, teen phone addiction comes with unique safety concerns, such as:

• Cybercrimes and bullying: Young people are particularly vulnerable to cybercrime and cyberbullying. The DQ Institute's Child Online Safety Index notes that 73% of children aged 8 to 18 have experienced at least one cyber risk, ranging from online bullying to unwanted sexual contact.
• Accidents: People addicted to their smartphones are more likely to experience accidents from falls and slips to burns and electrical shocks.
• Distracted driving: Teens with driver's licenses may struggle to tear their eyes off a phone screen when behind the wheel. This creates enormous potential for an auto accident resulting in severe injury or death.
  

How Parents Can Help a Teen With Phone Addiction

Phone apps, social media, gaming, and other online activities are built around encouraging nonstop use. Many teens aren't mentally equipped to regulate their phone use without guidance.

Parents and caregivers can help foster healthy technology habits in teens to avoid excessive use from becoming an addiction. Here are some ideas:

• Model healthy phone usage by being mindful of your own screen time.
• Limit screen time as much as possible by setting time limits and enforcing them, especially around bedtime.
• Encourage engagement in sports, activities involving exercise, and time in nature.
  
• Carve out unplugged time together, especially at the dinner table.
• Promote other interests and creative outlets that don't involve technology, such as writing, painting, and music.
  
• Encourage social activities. Teens with strong friendships are less likely to have a phone addiction.