Effect of Mobile Phone on Teenagers

We are living in the era of gadgets and smartphones, and communication has never been so easy; with social media, we’re always connected to our friends and millions of other people, no matter where we are. All we need is a smartphone with an internet connection. Mobile phones have become part of our daily lives and besides communication, we have available a vast variety of apps that can make our daily life a lot easier. Though the cost of app development is rising, the number of apps in app stores is increasing. Some of these apps had been optimized for mobile apps stores so that we can find them easier. With only our mobile devices we can read books, listen to music, take pictures, watch videos, play games, create and edit documents, get a medical opinion, and much more. Therefore, people are spending more and more time on their phones, increasing their usage time with almost 50% from 2019 to 2020.

There are many potential health risks to mental and physical well-being related to overuse of cell phones, especially low IQ & improper mental growth in teenagers, sleep deprivation, brain tumors and psychiatric diseases are hot-button issues. Cell phone usage badly affects mental health of adolescents and they look anxious, depressed and angry or sometimes commit suicide. The suicidal rate is increasing in this era. Some studies also showed a positive relation of cell phone addiction and physiological health.

Research has been done on smartphone usage and its impact on all adolescents from so many years. It is not a new issue at all. But the increasing trend of cell phone. Many studies have been done using different human behavior as dependent and independent variable. Some researcher examined adolescent’s physical health or educational performance with smartphone addiction and others analyzed psychological behavior and social relationship with mobile phone addiction. In these articles, some of the latest studies were overviewed.

Teenage Cell Phone Addiction

It’s no big secret that teens have a complex relationship with technology. They are expected to use technology both in and out of the classroom to make the grade, they manage their social lives through various apps and social media platforms, and they use technology to stay organized and on top of their many, many activities. Today’s teens face intense levels of pressure. Sometimes their phone use is tied to recreational activity and can help them relieve stress, but other times they use their phones to keep up with their busy lives.

Although there isn’t a recognized “smartphone addiction” diagnosis, it’s natural for parents to wonder if a teen’s apparent obsession with a smartphone qualifies as addictive behavior. After all, it can be incredibly frustrating to attempt to hold a conversation with someone when they can’t peel their eyes away from their phone.

For teens and adults, the problem stems from the fact that the brain doesn’t distinguish between social media and the physical world. There’s no separate brain system for social media. “So we respond to social media and what we like just like any other thing in the real world,” said Stoddard. “There’s a big difference between our reward centers, going after what we want, and our control centers in adolescence,” he said. “And that’s why it seems like adolescents, it seems I’ll say, adolescents are more vulnerable than other folks.”

The impact of mobile phones on youth and society is immense. It is this area that requires attention when you are giving your teen a cell phone. Here’s how cell phones affect teenagers.

Teen tendonitis (TTT)

Excess messaging can lead to Teen Tendonitis (TTT). It causes pain in the hands, back, and neck due to poor posture. According to a five-year cohort study, excessive cell phone usage is known to result in musculoskeletal disorders such as tendonitis and first carpometacarpal arthritis in the forearm and thumb 

Stress

Having a cell phone will tempt your teen to spend all day talking or texting instead of doing productive things. Studies have proven that teens who spend too much of their time with their cell phones are more prone to stress, anxiety, and depression. Research has also found that excessive use of smartphones may result in an increased risk of mental health problems.

Sleep loss

Most teens keep their cell phones nearby while sleeping to respond to texts and calls and remain reachable around the clock. This may lead to sleep interruption and disruption. Studies have found that teenagers who use cellphones after the lights out experienced increased tiredness. Also, college students who use cell phones after the onset of sleep are reported to be awake an extra 46 minutes per week

Accidents

Teens tend to attend calls and text while driving, which is proven to be dangerous. According to the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), teens are more likely to be distracted than drivers of any other age . So, using a cell phone while driving should be a strict no.

Anxiety

Relying on texting as a primary mode of communication can increase anxiety in teens. Texting is instantly gratifying, but it also produces anxiety. The instant reply by a friend can bring joy and elation. But in case of delayed response or no response, this same pleasure can turn into disappointment. Also, cell phone addiction can turn into an obsession to check messages and reply immediately. It may also increase anxiety by creating an illusion that they had received a message even when there was no message, making them frequently check their phones

Impact on education institutions

Cell phones can be a distraction even to teachers and encourage students to cheat in their exams. Cheating or looking up answers online is what students do when they are unsure of themselves. Cell phones in the classroom can be distracting to other students and teachers. Even a single beep of incoming notifications can disrupt the flow of an entire session.

Mobile devices can make it easier for students to collaborate, but they can also be used for bullying, which can cause physical and emotional harm. Students might use their phones in class to text rumors and lies about each other or make threats against classmates.  Bullying can happen across social media platforms, text messages or the school’s own messaging platform. This behavior creates additional disciplinary issues the school needs to handle to keep students safe.

 Effetcs Of Mobile Dating Apps

Casual dating for women is often frowned upon in Pakistan’s male-dominated society. However, dating apps such as Tinder are challenging norms and allowing women to take more control over their sexuality. Pakistan, the second largest Muslim-majority country in the world after Indonesia, is an Islamic nation where extra-marital relationships and homosexuality are illegal.

Data from analytics firm Sensor Tower shows Tinder has been downloaded more than 440,000 times in Pakistan within the last 12 months. Grindr, Tagged and SayHi had each been downloaded about 300,000 times and Skout 100,000 times in that same period. The research found that 40 per cent women in the country face various forms of harassment on the internet, while a staggering 72 per cent do not know about the cybercrime laws dealing with online harassment, including social media sites like Facebook and Twitter.