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Teens on being tethered to their phones and social media

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Smartphone Effects on the Brain in Children and Teens

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New study links phone use and mental health issues in teens

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Teenage Cell Phone Use | Rya Kirchberg | TEDxHowellHighSchool

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Can teens cope without their smartphones?

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Snapchat, WhatsApp, Instagram and Keek. If you're a teenager - this is how you communicate - through the constant swipes of your smartphone. So what would life offline be like? We've took the smartphones away from three teenagers for 48 hours to see.

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Kids on the pressures of having a cell phone, social media at an early age

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CommonLit | Screen Addiction Among Teens: Is There Such A Thing? by Anya Kamenetz

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In this 10th-grade level article, Anya Kamenetz explores the time teens spend looking at screens and whether or not one can be truly addicted to technology.

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Many teens spend a lot of time on their phones, on their screens. So what's happening in their brains as they do that? Is it hurting them?

I asked a group of teens what their questions were about phones and how the devices affect them. They all attend Alameda International Junior/Senior High, a public school in a mostly Latino neighborhood in Lakewood; we're only using first names to protect their privacy.

The teens had a lot of questions.

So I asked Dr. Joel Stoddard, a child and adolescent psychiatrist at Children's Hospital Colorado, to come in and answer them.

Here's what the teens wanted to know, followed by the answers.

"What do you think triggers in the brain that makes the adolescent want to be on his phone, always?"
Luis, 9th grader

Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite
Luis, a 9th grader at Alameda International Junior/Senior High School, speaks to John Daley and Children's Hospital Colorado psychiatrist Joel Stoddard about phone use. Oct. 2, 2019.

Teens' brains are excitable, Stoddard said. They have sensitive reward centers, including in a part of the brain called the nucleus accumbens. Social media lights those up. "When you get a like, your reward centers are really active," Stoddard said. He pointed to research that shows "those rewards centers develop much earlier" than the centers that might help a teenager, say, moderate their desire for likes, or set and meet goals.

"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."

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.

And social media offers unnaturally quicker and more consistent rewards than humans get from many other activities.

The students said that seems about right, nodding their heads. Brooklyn, a brown-haired 8th grader with glasses, said she's experienced that after posting on Instagram. "You get all excited about it," she said. "Once you're on Instagram, some people get sad, because they see other people with a lot of likes, unlike them." Jenasey, a senior in a light-colored sweatshirt, shared a similar experience. "Your adrenaline just gets sky-high and you're just in the best mood," she said.

Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite
Children's Hospital Colorado psychiatrist Joel Stoddard speaks to teens about their phone use at Alameda International Junior/Senior High School. Oct. 2, 2019.

Stoddard said teens' desire for social interaction might also feed their stress about phones. They are especially tuned in to their peers' reaction, so likes on Instagram feel to a teen like a sign they belong. But the opposite is true too: They're extra sensitive to rejection and exclusion. "To expect someone and to hope someone will like what you post and then not to get that reaction feels like a punishment," he said.

Even thinking about posting can raise anxiety for some people, Stoddard said. "It's not just the likes, it's sort of the anticipating what other people are thinking about you on social media."

Stoddard said that's especially true for those with social anxiety or fears of being judged in a social situation. People who are vulnerable to that kind of worry in the real world "were very much more likely to have a strong gut reaction to worrying about what other people thought about their posts online."

Brooklyn said she's seen that among her friends. "I know my friend is scared to post some things because she's scared about what other people will think and what other people will think about her," she said.

"How does (phone use) really affect the brain? When people explain it, they mostly say it's very dangerous."
Jovan, 8th grader

Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite
Jovan, an 8th grader at Alameda International Junior/Senior High School, speaks to John Daley and Children's Hospital Colorado psychiatrist Joel Stoddard about phone use. Oct. 2, 2019.

Stoddard acknowledged it's hard to know the long-term impacts. "We're making ourselves guinea pigs in a big social experiment right now," he said. Still, all the things teens can access via their phones and social media can put them in a really fraught situation. Stoddard used an analogy to explain. He showed the students an image, with a match on the left and a gas can on the right. "A match by itself, is that harmful?" he asked. David, an 8th grader, replied: "It can be."

Stoddard told them a match or gas can by itself doesn't cause any problems. "But if you light a match and then put it by the gas can, something bad can happen, right?" he said.

It's like that with young people and phones, he explained. For some teens the phone can lead to trouble, in different ways for different people. For some, it's connecting with apps or people online in an unhealthy way or becoming completely absorbed in virtual life. Jovan, a curly-haired 8th-grader in a white T-shirt, said that's what happened to him. He plays video games, especially Fortnite, late into the night. "On the weekends I would be on it like every day," he said. During the week, "I like would go home and go straight in my room and then just play until 10."

It got so extreme he even skipped meals to play video games.

Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite
Jenasey, a senior at Alameda International Junior/Senior High School, speaks to John Daley and Children's Hospital Colorado psychiatrist Joel Stoddard about phone use. Oct. 2, 2019.

Jenasey, the senior, said every waking hour, except when she's at work, she's on social media. "My conversations with people are the social stuff I see on social media," Jenasey said. "Like, the memes, the jokes, it becomes your life, literally."

When I asked if their screen time worries them, every teen raised their hand.

A new study released this week by Common Sense Media, which examines young people's tech use, found on average 8-to-12-year-olds in the U.S. used their screens 4 hours 44 minutes a day. For teens, it's even more: an average of 7 hours 22 minutes. Both figures don't include time on screens for school or homework.

The report documented other trends. Even among the youngest tweens, smartphone ownership has risen sharply. Watching TV and playing video games were the top activities, and time spent watching videos, often on YouTube, rose significantly since 2015.

Pew Research Center research reported a growing share of teens say they use the internet "almost constantly."

It's hard to say right now what the long-term impacts of all that use will be. The research on the long-term impacts of phones is still evolving. High phone usage is linked to higher rates of mental health troubles, but researchers disagree on whether smartphones are actually the cause.

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What Phones Do To Teen Brains (And What Teens Wanted To Know About That)

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Many teens spend a lot of time on their phones, on their screens. So what's happening in their brains as they do that? Is it hurting them? I asked a group of teens what their questions were about phones and how the devices affect them.

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Project Zero Researchers Carrie James and Emily Weinstein, authors of Behind Their Screens: What Teens Are Facing (And Adults Are Missing), give the low-down on teens' behavior online. As part of a multiyear study, they surveyed more than 3,500 teens uncovering information about everything from why they sext to how they navigate friendship dilemmas online. What teens do and why is far more complex than many adults give them credit for. As a result, Weinstein and James say that adults are missing key opportunities to truly guide their teens, instead falling back on tired and useless messaging.

In this episode of the Harvard EdCast, they provide a glimpse into teens' online worlds and offer strategies for adults eager to connect with and help the young adults in their lives.

TRANSCRIPT

Jill Anderson: I'm Jill Anderson. This is the Harvard EdCast.

What are teens doing on their smartphones all the time? That question is what drove Harvard researchers Emily Weinstein and Carrie James to find out what's happening behind teen screens. The answer is far more complicated than many adults realize. They surveyed more than 3,500 teens across the U.S. finding out everything from why they sext to how they navigate friendship dilemmas online. What really struck me about their research is as adults, we tend to offer useless advice and dismiss teen phone use as just an addiction. So parents are missing real opportunities to help teens, they say. I asked Emily to tell me more about the complex relationship teens have with their phones.

Emily Weinstein: We heard again and again from teens that they don't want to feel dysregulated when it comes to their technology use, and that they actually have pretty impressive, even amazing awareness of what tech habits they have that are serving them and the tech habits that they wish they could change. We had so many quotes from teens about just this feeling of, I don't know why, but this app, TikTok is running my life, or I keep falling asleep on social media and I wish I didn't. And what we found that's actually so powerful about that recognition is that adults often get really stuck in this position of being like a referee when it comes to teens technology use, where we're just blowing the whistle when kids do something wrong or calling teens out when they misstep. We get stuck in this position.

But when we recognize that actually teens concerns about their own habits sound a lot like the concerns that we have about their habits, we can start those conversations with much more of a, we're in this with you mindset, and be in this coaching role where instead of just blowing the whistle on things being wrong, we have conversations that start with a recognition that actually teens want to feel more agency and control over their tech habits and that we can really play an important role in helping them get there if we start with what they see and what they want for themselves instead of with the assumption that we have to be in this adversarial, constant battle with them over screen time.

Carrie James: Yeah, what's really helpful about that is that it leads us to a conversation where we recognize that we're all vulnerable to the pull of the screen in so many ways. And the tech features that social media companies build into apps and devices, they're really compelling. Things like infinite scrolls, you never reach the end of your feed or you want to see the latest, newest thing and notifications. We're all tempted and pulled in by that, but recognizing that that's one feature that all of us grapple with. But also that it's even harder for adolescents because of their developmental sensitivities to peer feedback and validation that leads them to feel much more challenged about resisting that pull to the screen.

Jill Anderson: I think a lot of adults can relate to that feeling as well. And I want to get back to the concerns and the awareness in a little bit. But I was struck by how much of a bad rap social media gets, almost like everyone points their fingers at it as the root of all causes of young people's problems. But your work is showing that there just isn't a one size fits all for how teens are responding to social media. You met a lot of teens who had positive affirming relationships with social, and of course you've met plenty of teens who had the opposite experience. Did that surprise you? And why is it so important that we make these distinctions in our teens?

Emily Weinstein: The details really matter when it comes to teen social media experiences, and we just saw that so clearly in our most recent research, we've seen that again and again that it's so important that adults actually tune into the particulars of what a teen is actually experiencing on social media and how they're feeling because of it. This is one of the reasons that actually a sole focus on screen time often falls short or a search for main effects might not seem as gratifying. The effect sizes might not be as big as we anticipate, and then we're wondering, why am I not seeing in the data what I feel like I know I see for this kid in my life, which is this really positive or really negative impact? And we really came to the sense from our data that teens experiences just differ so tremendously. And when you look at the details, it's obvious why, because you have teens who are bringing different sensitivities to their social media experiences, and then they are doing different things on social media.

So you have one teen who's spending an hour browsing, you know how to nail a skateboarding trick videos or learning about their interest in a particular language or culture or exploring book talk. And you have another teen who is spending it exactly that same amount of time, an hour, connecting with friends who make them feel really supported, and cousins who make them feel they're part of a really important powerful, strong family unit. And then you have a 13 who's spending that exact same amount of time browsing peers videos that just make them feel like, why does everyone have better friendships than me? Or why is it that I can't have access to these things, these relationships or these feelings or these experiences that my peers have? And then you have other teens who are spending an hour looking at misinformation and conspiracy theories. And when we look at these details, we suddenly see that actually they're having really different experiences on their screens and they're unsurprisingly feeling really differently as a result of those experiences.

Carrie James: There's one idea in various sciences called differential susceptibility that's been really, really relevant in media research. And there's been this powerful metaphor for distilling the essence of that. It's a floral metaphor, orchids versus dandelions. And if we think about it, orchids are very sensitive to different conditions, weather, climate and dandelions are much hardier flowers and they can weather an array of conditions.

And if as a parent you have two kids, you might notice that one is more orchid-like, and one is more dandelion-like. I definitely have two kids and that is the case for me in my parenting in my life. So similarly, if we blow that out and think about why it's so hard to make these really broad claims about the experience that teens in general are having about social media, the reality is that they're differently susceptible to the risks of social media. And it's important to know and tune into those details that Emily mentioned. Do you have a kid who's overall more sensitive or a kid who can weather the ups and downs of their lives in general? And then that's going to get amplified by social media. We think of social media as an amplifier, and the question is, what is it amplifying for your particular kid?

Emily Weinstein: One other piece here that's really important is that even knowing a kid has a particular sensitivity, we still need to have this disposition toward curiosity about their experiences because that interaction between sensitivities and content and onscreen experiences is relevant once more. You can imagine that if you have two teenagers who are struggling with body image issues, you might have one whose social media feed is filled with exactly the kinds of content that really reinforce body insecurity and feeling dissatisfied with their own body. And you might have another teen who has intentionally filled their whole feed with body positivity and inspiring content and things that make them feel much more comfortable in their own skin. And so even that shared sensitivity can play out in really different ways for kids depending on what they're doing on social media. So just once more, the details matter so much.

Jill Anderson: Is there a way as a parent that you can find out whether social media is helping or hurting your teen without breaching their privacy?

Carrie James: One thing is to lean into curiosity and importantly, non-judgmental curiosity. Trying to understand what's hard for teens, but also what's good and compelling about social media and other aspects of their digital lives. Asking about the good stuff first can actually be a really important power move, because if we only ask about what's hard, they'll see it as a leading question and they'll suspect that anything that they say that will confirm our worst instincts or suspicions that all of social media is bad and that teens are just having this really negative experience. So leaning into curiosity, non-judgmental curiosity and exploring both the ups and the downs is really important. Emily, what would you add? You want to bring in a couple of other rules of thumb?

Emily Weinstein: We have found that there is this magic formula of open-ended questions where you're not just asking a yes or no question, but really creating space for teens to share their perspectives. And then following with empathy and validation as the first impulse reaction. Accessing empathy has been something that we've been thinking and exploring a lot in our research. And one of the things we find is that one of the barriers to empathy for adults is often this feeling that we just want to roll our eyes. It feels dumb, like whatever dumb technology thing, and just say to our kids like, "Ugh, it just doesn't matter. Just get off TikTok, put down your phone. Don't worry about what people are doing on Snapchat." And often the what's new, the tech piece really distracts us from seeing the familiar feelings that are under whatever teens are grappling with.

And so when we actually search for the familiar, we realize things like, oh, it's not really Snapchat that's the problem, it's that my teen has just figured out that they were the only one of their friends not invited to the movies. Or it's not really just Instagram. It's that feeling really vulnerable as a teen feeling like you have this question about whether your friends really like you and how you fit into the world. That's really familiar and that's really hard. And social media is amplifying this reality, but it didn't create it. And when we find those familiar seeds of whatever is going on in our own experiences, we can tap empathy and then follow it with real validation in a genuine way that sort of paves the way for continued sharing and positive conversations.

Jill Anderson: You've already mentioned how teens are so much more aware, and they really are more savvy than we give them credit for. Parents seem to be taking almost the least helpful approach often, just telling your kid, You shouldn't sext because it's bad or it's going to ruin your life. Teens already know this. And knowing that, why do teens continue to sext and what do teens want to hear from their parents about sexting?

Carrie James: Yeah, sexting is a really hard topic, and as moms of daughters, Emily and I especially both feel that. But really slowing down and listening to teens, we learned a lot about their experiences and about how complicated it is. One thing that we heard is that there is a spectrum in terms of sexting. Like we unpack nine reasons why, for example, teens sext when they know that it can be a risky thing to do. And some of those reasons are really on the consensual and wanted end. They're really interested in exploring sexuality, they're curious, they want to feel closer to someone who they're talking with or flirting with or have a crush on, or they're in a relationship that's a relationship of trust and it's consensual and it's a positive experience. And we actually heard from teens, older teens in particular that there are plenty of stories where sexting happened, where it was in a relationship of trust and it was consensual and there are zero bad consequences.

So that's a part of their experience that if we don't look at and acknowledge then we don't really understand the full spectrum. Now we should be really worried about the other side of the spectrum, which is a real sense of pressure that teens can feel around asking for sext because boys, for example, feel like they should be asking or feeling like they should send a sext when they've been asked, because otherwise they will experience a negative consequence. They're feeling some sort of sense of threat. They're feeling in some cases, even blackmail, really, really negative experiences.

Emily Weinstein: A lot of teens told us that they feel tremendous pressure around sexting, as Carrie mentioned, that includes pressure to ask for nudes, pressure to send them even when they don't really want to. We also heard from teens about ways that adults impulses can get in our own ways of backfire. So if we say something to teens when something goes wrong, when a sext gets leaked, we double down on the message. See, this is why you should never ever send a nude picture in the first place. It could get leaked, it could ruin your whole reputation. One of the things that we heard from teens is that that message can actually reinforce a feeling that it is okay to forward someone else's nudes if you receive them, because the thinking can go like you should have known better. If it's really the fault of the person who sent it in the first place, then I'm not to blame for just sharing it on because they really should have known better.

And teens told us that they really need us to shift away from the message that is just don't send a sex and amplify two other messages in its place. One is, do not ask someone for a sext because it is extremely hard to say no, especially if the request is coming from someone who you like and you want to feel close to. So tell teens, don't ask for nudes. You put the other person in a really hard position. And then number two, if a picture is leaked, rather than doubling down on this message of that person should have known better, saying again and again to teens, it is never ever okay to forward on someone else's nude picture or share it with people who are not the intended audience.

If for any reason you receive one you absolutely cannot, should not forward it on to others. And those were two messages that teen said, we really feel like there's this void that we're not hearing these two things that are actually really, really important. I think kind of going along with that, we heard, especially from middle school girls, a lot of stress about the pressure around being asked for nudes. And our impulse there as we really engaged with teen's voices was that they really need strategies to help them turn down requests when they're coming and to feel really confident and empowered around having the skills to navigate those inbound requests.

Carrie James: What Emily sharing is so important, because we often just say, don't sext. And that's the beginning and the end of the conversation. And teens told us we need to do better around this. We really need to lean into what's much more complicated than just a warning not to sext.

Jill Anderson: Some of this is really interesting and reminds me a little bit of some of the narrative around consent and how you're supposed to be teaching strategies, at least to younger kids. It's like emphasized so much about consent and having conversations about it. Almost feels like a lot of this can be extensions of that conversation in some way or an ongoing conversation.

Emily Weinstein: Absolutely. We write in our work about the importance of consent as a frame, and how actually the language of consent has been really missing from a lot of conversations adults have with teens about sexting. And once we reintroduce it seems so obvious how some of the messages we were sending fall short and what else we might need to say.

Jill Anderson: You mentioned how teens have the same concerns that parents have, and I want to hear a little bit more about those concerns, because it doesn't seem super obvious, I think, as a parent, what they are.

Carrie James: One big area for this is the digital footprint. A big misconception that a lot of adults have is that teens really aren't aware that the things that they post online can exist forever and come back to haunt them. But again and again, teens told us things like if you post one thing on social media, you can't take it back. Or if someone puts something out there about you, it's too late, it's out there or there's something, it's been saved, it's been stored and you have no way of deleting it. There really was this anxiety and this sense of in some ways like resignation that this is the reality of the world that they're growing up in. So teens really harbor a lot of those concerns that adults have, and yet we know really well that their awareness doesn't necessarily mean that they're going to have a perfect "clean" digital footprint.

So what's going on here? There are a number of different things at play of certainly the social pulls, the more sort of immediate weighty pull of posting something to please and impress one's peers. That's a big thing that's at play for young people. There is also, more generally, the reality that teens are constantly recording and posting things about other teens. So their peers are posting things about them contributing to their co-authors of their digital footprint. So to a certain extent, the digital footprint of an individual teen is literally out of their control, really challenging and anxiety producing for them.

Emily Weinstein: We heard from teens that adults often contribute to this in ways that really undercut the messages we tell them are so important. I'm thinking of a teen who is talking about how she can sit in class and her teachers and people at her school will tell her, "You should never post anything that someone else wouldn't want online. You have to be really thoughtful about what other people do and don't want shared." And then her school account is posting pictures from her play practice that all the teens are really embarrassed by. Their eyes are closed, they look awkward, they feel uncomfortable, and they're like, I don't want that content online. And I think it seems so benign and we've understandably, I think in many cases, schools wanting to share or camps or parents wanting to share proud moments, wanting to share student work. We often are in this position of uploading drama rehearsal pictures or a picture from a sports game.

And we don't even think about what we're modeling around this idea of getting people's permission or making sure that what we put about people online is what they want there. So the realities are just really complicated. And then you layer onto this, that not only are teens in this sort of record everything, collect receipts culture where they're documenting screenshoting, but we also have this reality that the technologies have made it such that content persists and really can get wrenched out of time and place and context and pulls toward completely new meanings in the future. And that is so hard. It's hard even for my adult brain to really imagine how my every text message I send privately be screenshotted and then potentially uploaded in the future. And then what would someone think about that in 15 years from now? And then you layer onto that the reality that perspective taking skills and other parts of cognition are actually still developing for adolescents.

We're asking them to kind of do this herculean task by imagining every possible audience of every possible digital message they send or every possible picture of them that's taken. And Carrie and I just sat with so much discomfort as we were grappling with that in our own work and what the implications are for what we actually can and should say to teens. We certainly don't think that adults should just stop saying to teens think about what you post. Of course, we think that is such an important message. We just saw the many ways it can fall short and the ways that it's just not often enough for teens who are living in this really complex digital landscape.

Jill Anderson: It sounds like it's a lot less about limiting taking screens away, banishing certain things from teens as it is more about having these conversations and developing strategies as a parent, as a caretaker, guardian, whatever, to level up in a way and be able to meet your teen where they're at.

Carrie James: Absolutely, Jill. I think making sure our teens understand that there are strategies that can use privacy settings are an obvious one, but there are less obvious ones, like ways in which teens can use private story groups on Snapchat and Instagram and they do in order to segment their audiences and create some sort of privacy for some areas where they want to let loose. So, knowing whether your teen is tapping some of those affordances is really important. But also recognizing that they're not full proof. And the teens should be aware and they are aware based on our research that there are risks.

And so we actually need to expect and anticipate missteps. We need to acknowledge the reality that there are things that our kids are going to post that they're not going to necessarily feel great about and we need to be there for them when they stumble with great empathy, with encouragement around a growth mindset. We can help teens sort of write their story even just for themselves about their missteps and why they happened, but importantly for others in the future who may find the digital evidence. So I think we just need to shift our mindset away from protecting our kids from the risks at all costs and acknowledging that they're going to make mistakes and how can we coach them through this really difficult reality.

Emily Weinstein: Your question also just makes me think about something we heard from teens, which is that it's really complicated to opt out of social media and it's not without cost. And Carrie and I were just in a conversation with a couple of teens last week and they were talking about how this reality of FOMO is part of life when they opt out and when they opt in. Both said that they were late to the social media game for a variety of reasons. Like their friends were all using social media before them. And they said, "When my friends were on social media and I was having this FOMO experience, like I was left out all the time because there were inside jokes that were happening, there was communication, there were plans, there were logistics, there were sources of shared connection that I just wasn't part of and it made me feel less close to my friends."

And then when I started using social media, you feel like this sense of FOMO because you see everything everyone's doing and you're not always part of it and you have to figure out how to navigate that. And then on top of that, we hear from teens that group chats are key to the FOMO landscape and the social dynamics. So even if you're not on social media, you can still get wrapped up in some of the digital complexity of social life. Which is all to say that I think that so often and understandably we want to just know, "Oh, if I just keep my kid off social media until X age, I'll be doing them a favor." And we came away with this sense that yeah, there are cases where that is true, that we are doing kids a big favor by helping them delay social media, but it can be really complicated and we have to pay attention to what is going on in their social circle and what the implications are.

One other thing here that's kind of interesting is when kids are a little bit on the younger end of their teen years, it's totally appropriate and in many cases expected for parents to be much more involved in their social media live. So maybe I'm actually doing Instagram with my 14 year old, and I'm seeing that that's kind of our agreement. She's going to start using social media and I have the password or she has access to it and we look at it together and we're sort of co-constructing meaning. And then as teens get older, it's less and less comfortable and appropriate to be involved in their social media experiences. And so if we have a 17 year old starting to use social media for the first time, they can end up in this position where they're getting a lot less of that kind of coaching and intervention.

I'm not advocating that 14 year olds parents should be reading their Instagram messages or anything like that, or that we should be putting kids on social media younger. But I just think that some of these tensions are so important for us to at least grapple with and recognize that there aren't really answers here.

Jill Anderson: I just wonder if there's something that we should be doing for the younger kids. We do hear about nine year olds being on TikTok and five year olds getting their smart watches and things. So is there something else we should do for younger kids?

Emily Weinstein: There's one really important thing that we can all be doing and that is really thinking about what we're modeling in our own tech habits. And I think about this a lot because I have a almost three year old and she is so aware of the moments when I am distracted by my phone. And I have really tried in doing this research, one study I got to work on really demonstrated and just quantified the impacts of what some researchers are calling techno fear. This is when parents are distracted, when people are distracted by their phones and they pull us from connections with each other.

And there's really some indication that at all ages kids notice that. And it has negative impacts on the quality of our parent child relationships. And so, one of the things that we can start doing is just taking stock, taking note of our own tech habits, what we're modeling, and then naming aloud the struggle that we feel and the strategies we're using. So in my case, even with a three year old that might look like saying, Oh sorry, I am feeling really distracted by my phone right now. I am going to go put it in the other room so that I can focus on the game we're playing together. And just recognizing that modeling that physical separation, modeling that it's okay to feel this pull and that there are things we can do because we really want to prioritize the relationship. That's a really powerful and simple intervention.

Carrie James: There are other aspects of modeling too, in terms of our digital lives and those have to do more with social media. And so we can model for our kids the kinds of real sort red flag moments. We can look at our own phones and say, Wow, I see something sort of troubling here and name that out loud. Or I'm noticing that everyone on my social media feed looks like they're living their best life. That can't really be true, can it? So really modeling that sort of pause point to wonder what's going on on the one hand. And on the other hand, to really notice that social media can be a highlight reel and really invite that critical lens. And we can do that from even when our kids pre-social media, because there's so much content that they're looking at. If they have an iPad or YouTube, they see stuff online even if they don't have their own social media accounts. So that modeling in a variety of different ways can start early.

Jill Anderson: Well, thank you so much Emily and Carrie. This was amazing. Lots of useful things in this conversation.

Emily Weinstein: Thanks for having us, Jill.

Carrie James: Thank you, Jill.

Jill Anderson: Carrie James and Emily Weinstein are principal investigators at Harvard's Project Zero. They are the authors of the recent book, Behind Their Screens, What Teens are Facing (and Adults Are Missing). I'm Jill Anderson. This is the Harvard EdCast produced by the Harvard Graduate School of Education. Thanks for listening.

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Harvard researchers Emily Weinstein and Carrie James tell us what teens are really doing while on their phones.

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Teens look at their smartphones at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland. Most cellphone-using teens say they at least sometimes use their phone as a way to pass time, connect with others or learn new things. (Robert Nickelsberg/Getty Images)

Nearly all U.S. teens (95%) say they have access to a smartphone - and 45% say they are " almost constantly" on the internet. That amount of screen time has raised concerns from parents, educators and policymakers across the country, and even many teens worry they use their phone too much.

So, what exactly are teens doing with their cellphones?

The vast majority of cellphone-using teens say their phone is a way to just pass time, with nine-in-ten saying they often or sometimes use it this way, according to a Pew Research Center survey of 13- to 17-year-olds conducted in 2018. Similarly large shares of teen cellphone users say they at least sometimes use their phone to connect with other people (84%) or learn new things (83%).

Teen boys and girls are about equally likely to say they often or sometimes use their devices to connect with other people (85% vs. 83%, respectively), just pass the time (both 90%) or learn new things (79% vs. 87%).

But while phones are a way for teens to connect with other people, they can also be a way to avoid face-to-face interactions. Roughly four-in-ten teen cellphone users (43%) say they often or sometimes use their phone to avoid interacting with people. This is truer for teen girls than teen boys. Roughly half of teen girls who have access to a cellphone (54%) say they often or sometimes use their mobile device to avoid social interaction, while 31% of teen boys report doing the same.

For many teens, phones have become a vital part of their daily routine, and their relationship with their device can be complicated.

This same survey found that around seven-in-ten teens (72%) say they often or sometimes check for messages or notifications as soon as they wake up. More than half of teens (56%) associate the absence of their phone with at least one of three emotions: loneliness, being upset or feeling anxious. Girls are more likely than boys to feel anxious or lonely without their phone.

Teens have mixed views about whether they are on their phones too much. Some 54% of teens worry they spend too much time on their phone, and of those who say they spend too much time on the phone, roughly half (53%) say they have ever cut back on the time they spend on their cellphone.
Note: See full topline results and methodology here.

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Most U.S. teens who use cellphones do it to pass time, connect with others, learn new things

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Most cellphone-using teens say their phone is a way to pass time. Similarly large shares use their phone to connect with others or learn new things.

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Olivia Johnson and her friends are typical teenagers. They're involved in extracurricular activities at school, have part-time jobs to make spending money, enjoy each other's company and use a smartphone to stay in the loop.

"For most kids, I think we probably could live without our phone. But we prefer not to," said Johnson, a senior at Bemidji (Minnesota) High School. "I enjoy looking at pictures and reading. I also text, use Instagram, Twitter and Snapchat. For me, and for my friends, having a phone is a positive and not a negative. But I don't know if it is that way for everyone."

Grown up with them

Shawn Whiting, the clinical supervisor of behavioral health at Sanford Health in Bemidji, said the smartphone has changed how people communicate.

"(Today's) kids have had cellphones their whole lives. This is the technology that has been present and they don't know anything else," he said. "They use their phones and social media to connect with their peers, but what they can lose are the human interactions that people, as social animals, need."

Find a provider: Behavioral health at Sanford

On a day that offers an open schedule, Johnson estimates that she and her friends would spend four to five hours on their phones texting and talking. With more than 100 contacts, Johnson doesn't lack a friend to talk to.

Among her contacts are mom, dad, her brother and sister, her cousins, plus her aunts and uncles, so those close to her are fully aware of what Johnson is posting and receiving.

"I know who her friends are on social media," said her mother, Tracy Johnson. "I am one of her contacts and there are many other relatives who can serve as checks and balances on her phone. Olivia is willing to be part of the broader family group and, because of that, we don't worry about her phone use. We know what she is doing."

Know what they're doing

Whiting believes that sort of arrangement among the family members and the teenager would benefit everyone.

"What I tell parents is, if your child is going to have a smartphone and be on social media, have a relationship that enables you to know what your child is doing and who the child is communicating with," Whiting said. "Smartphones (can be) great tools for the parents to check on their kids and know where they are."

Like any other tool, when used properly, a smartphone can significantly add to someone's knowledge and enjoyment. But it can also cause pain and embarrassment.

"The adult brain doesn't fully develop until a person is 24 or 25 years old, and the rational part of the brain is the last to develop, so kids can be impacted by peer pressure on social media," Whiting said. "Sometimes kids can't make the clarification between what is real and what isn't real. When that happens it can have a negative impact on self-esteem.

Learn more: When media changes adolescent moods & anxiety

"There also is a lot of cyber-bullying going on. And, unfortunately, there have been some kids who have committed suicide because of cyber-bullying. We have to find ways to manage (smartphone use). Parents, school administrators, and the kids themselves need to ask 'what is appropriate smartphone use and what is too much.'"

Know the signs

People who spend time with kids also need to be able to identify the signs that indicate that a child is struggling or may be depressed.

"The tricky part is determining what is normal adolescent development and what isn't," Whiting said. "It can be tough for a parent to know that, but that is what we (behavioral health specialists) are trained to do. Developmentally, kids at this age are moving away from parents and their peers become a bigger influence than the parents are. That's (part of the normal) development process. But, generally speaking, if the child isn't acting normally, I would ask some questions."

Warning signs include:

More isolation than usual

Difficulty sleeping, or falling asleep at inappropriate times

Mood swings

Feeling down

Lacking interest

What to do for at-risk kids

Based on those indicators, Olivia Johnson sees kids every day who may be at risk.

"I don't see much bullying at school, but sometimes I see it online," she said. "And I would say that 20 to 25 percent of the kids I see at school don't have many social skills and hang around mostly by themselves. But my friends are in extracurricular activities and I think those activities help develop social skills."

If parents notice that their child is demonstrating some of those signs, Whiting said it is time for them to start or extend the communication process.

"Try to talk with the child. Try to see what is going on," he advises. "If you are noticing something bigger (you can) talk with the school teachers and the school counselors and see if they are noticing anything different. And from there, maybe a mental health referral (would be warranted).

"And sooner is better than later."

More stories

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Posted In Behavioral Health, Children's, Health Information, Healthy Living

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Smartphone impacts on teenagers: Positive and negative - Sanford Health News

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Olivia Johnson and her friends are typical teenagers. They're involved in extracurricular activities at school, have part-time jobs to make spending money, enjoy each other's company and use a smartphone to stay in the loop. "For most kids, I think we probably could live without our phone.

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Mobile phones have revolutionized the way that people communicate since they first began to enter popular use in the 1980s. Here are 20 advantages of mobile phones.

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Pew Research Center: Internet, Science & Tech

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Majorities of teens credit social media with strengthening their friendships and providing support while also noting the emotionally charged side of these platforms

Society has long fretted about technology's impact on youth. But unlike radio and television, the hyperconnected nature of social media has led to new anxieties, including worries that these platforms may be negatively impacting teenagers' mental health. Just this year, the White House announced plans to combat potential harms teens may face when using social media.

Despite these concerns, teens themselves paint a more nuanced picture of adolescent life on social media. It is one in which majorities credit these platforms with deepening connections and providing a support network when they need it, while smaller - though notable - shares acknowledge the drama and pressures that can come along with using social media, according to a Pew Research Center survey of U.S. teens ages 13 to 17 conducted April 14 to May 4, 2022.

Eight-in-ten teens say that what they see on social media makes them feel more connected to what's going on in their friends' lives, while 71% say it makes them feel like they have a place where they can show their creative side. And 67% say these platforms make them feel as if they have people who can support them through tough times. A smaller share - though still a majority - say the same for feeling more accepted. These positive sentiments are expressed by teens across demographic groups.

When asked about the overall impact of social media on them personally, more teens say its effect has been mostly positive (32%) than say it has been mostly negative (9%). The largest share describes its impact in neutral terms: 59% believe social media has had neither a positive nor a negative effect on them. For teens who view social media's effect on them as mostly positive, many describe maintaining friendships, building connections, or accessing information as main reasons they feel this way, with one teen saying:

"It connects me with the world, provides an outlet to learn things I otherwise wouldn't have access to, and allows me to discover and explore interests." - Teen girl

While these youth describe the benefits they get from social media, this positivity is not unanimous. Indeed, 38% of teens say they feel overwhelmed by all the drama they see on social media, while about three-in-ten say these platforms have made them feel like their friends are leaving them out of things (31%) or have felt pressure to post content that will get lots of likes or comments (29%). Another 23% say these platforms make them feel worse about their own life.

Teen girls report encountering some of these pressures at higher rates. Some 45% of girls say they feel overwhelmed because of all the drama on social media, compared with 32% of boys. Girls are also more likely than boys to say social media has made them feel like their friends are leaving them out of things (37% vs. 24%) or worse about their own lives (28% vs. 18%).

When asked how often they decide not to post on social media out of fear of it being using against them, older teen girls stand out. For example, half of 15- to 17-year-old girls say they often or sometimes decide not to post something on social media because they worry others might use it to embarrass them, compared with smaller shares of younger girls or boys.

These are some of the key findings from a Pew Research Center online survey of 1,316 U.S. teens conducted from April 14 to May 4, 2022.

The strong presence of social media in many teenagers' lives begs the question: What impact, if any, are these sites having on today's youth?

Even as teens tend to view the impact of social media on their own lives in more positive than negative terms, they are more critical of its influence on their peers. While 9% of teens think social media has had a mostly negative effect on them personally, that share rises to 32% when the same question is framed about people their age.

There are also gaps when looking at the positive side of these platforms. Some 32% of teens say social media has had a positive effect on them personally, compared with a smaller share (24%) who say the same about these platforms' impact on teens more broadly.

Still, regardless of whether teens are assessing social media's impact on themselves or others, the most common way they describe its effect is as neither positive nor negative.

Parents are often on the front lines in navigating challenges their children may face when using social media. While previous Center surveys reflect parents' anxieties about social media, only a minority of teens in this survey describe their parents as being highly concerned about their use of these sites.

Some 22% believe their parents are extremely or very worried about them using social media, while another 27% say their parents are somewhat worried. However, many teens - 41% - say their parents are worried only a little or not at all. And 9% say they aren't sure about the level of concern their parents have over their social media use. These youth also weighed in on whether parents overall - not just their own - have an accurate picture of what it's like to be a teenager on social media. Some 39% say teens' experiences are better than parents think, while 27% say things on social media are worse for teens than parents think. Still, one-third believe parents' assessments are about right.

Teens who see social media as having a mostly positive effect on people their age are more likely than teens who see mostly negative effects to say teens' experiences on social media are better than parents think. They are also more likely to say they have had positive experiences while personally using these platforms.

Whether teens see social media's effects as positive or negative relates to their perspective on whether parents' views stack up to reality. About six-in-ten teens who say that social media has had a mostly positive effect on people their age say teens' experiences on social media are better than parents think, while a plurality of teens who say social media has been mostly negative for people their age say teens' experiences on social media are worse than parents think.

Teens who have a more positive view of social media's effect on their peers report more positive personal experiences with these platforms. More than half (54%) of teens who see social media as having a mostly positive effect on people their age say that what they see on social media makes them feel a lot more connected to what's going on in their friends' lives. About four-in-ten say they feel a lot like they have a place where they can show their creative side. Some 35% of teens who see the effect as mostly positive say social media makes them feel a lot like they have people who can support them through tough times, and 28% say it makes them feel a lot more accepted. By comparison, much smaller shares - about or quarter or fewer - of teens who see social media as having a negative effect say what they see on social media makes them feel each of these positive experiences a lot.

While teens who have a positive outlook on the impact of social media are more likely to report personally benefiting from these sites, they tend to say they've experienced the more negative side in similar proportions as those who rate these sites' effect on teens negatively. There is one exception: 12% of teens who believe social media has a mostly negative effect on teens say they feel overwhelmed by all of the drama on these platforms a lot, compared with 6% of those who see its impact as mostly positive.

Beyond broad measurement of social media, this survey also tackled two popular topics in the debates around social media: online activism and digital privacy.

Only small shares of teens are engaging in online activism on social media, but experiences and views vary by political affiliation

On topics from MAGA to Black Lives Matter, social media platforms have become an important way for people of all ages to share information, mobilize and discuss issues that are important to them.

But this survey reveals that only a minority of teens say they have been civically active on social media in the past year via one of the three means asked about at the time of the survey. One-in-ten teens say they have encouraged others to take action on political or social issues that are important to them or have posted a picture to show their support for a political or social issue in the past 12 months. Some 7% say the same about using hashtags related to a political or social cause on social media during this period. Taken together, 15% of teens have engaged in at least one of these activities on social media in the past 12 months.

While majorities of both Democrats and Republicans have not used social media in this way, there are some notable partisan differences among those who engage in activism. For example, 14% of teens who identify as Democrats or who lean toward the Democratic Party say they have used social media to encourage others to take action on political or social issues that are important to them in the past 12 months, compared with 6% of teens who are Republicans or GOP leaners. And larger shares of Democrats than Republicans say they have posted pictures or used hashtags to show support for a political or social issue in the past year. In total, Democratic teens are twice as likely as Republican teens to have engaged in any of these activities during this time (20% vs. 10%).

Not only do small shares of teens participate in these types of activities on social media, relatively few say these platforms play a critical role in how they interact with political and social issues.

About one-in-ten or fewer teens say social media is extremely or very important to them personally when it comes to exposing them to new viewpoints, getting involved with issues that are important to them, finding other people who share their views, helping them figure out their own views on an issue or giving them a venue to express their political opinions.

Just as Democratic teens are more likely than Republican teens to engage in these forms of online activism, they also see social media as a more integral tool for civic engagement. For example, 18% of Democratic teens say social media is extremely or very important to them when it comes to exposing them to new points of view, compared with 8% of Republican teens. Democrats are also more likely than Republicans to say these platforms are at least very important to them for getting involved with issues that are important to them, finding others who share their views or helping them figure out their own way of thinking.

And when asked about what people should do more broadly, Democratic teens (22%) are more likely than Republican teens (12%) to say that regardless of whether they engage in online activism themselves, it is very or extremely important for people to speak out about political or social issues on social media.

Teens feel a lack of control over their personal data but aren't too concerned about social media companies having this information

Amid the continued privacy discussions in the media and among policymakers, teens have nuanced views on the topic. Just 14% of teens report feeling a lot of control over the personal information that social media companies collect about them. Meanwhile, 60% of teens feel like they have little to no control. A further 26% say they are not sure how much control they have over companies' collection of this information.

Despite feeling a lack of control over their data being collected by social media companies, teens are largely unconcerned. A fifth of teens (20%) say they feel very or extremely concerned about the amount of their personal information social media companies might have. Still, a notable segment of teens - 44% - say they have little or no concern about how much these companies might know about them.
"TikTok is more of a place to watch videos ... then Instagram [is] more to see what my friends are up to and then Snapchat [is] a way of more direct communication." - Teen girl
To inform and supplement this survey, the Center conducted a series of teen focus groups to better understand how teens were using social media and thinking about topics related to it. These focus groups highlight how nuanced teens' views on social media truly are.

Teens share how different platforms serve different purposes as they navigate online life and that using these platforms can lead to a variety of emotions and experiences, from anxiety to excitement and from improved social connections to bullying:

"I've liked, especially during the pandemic, being able to communicate with my friends more, since I couldn't see them in person. And then also, having something to watch to entertain me, which was good, because we were just stuck at home." - Teen girl
"Okay, for me, it is like bullies or like negative comments or stuff like that, you just see a lot of people hating under the comments, under your posts and stuff like that." - Teen boy "During the pandemic, I feel like less people were using social media in certain ways, because there wasn't much to post, like going out. You're just staying at home. But TikTok, everyone was on it, because it was their source of entertainment." - Teen girl
As teens walk us through their perspectives, they also share how the pandemic changed (and didn't change) their social media habits and what they think their lives would be like if social media disappeared overnight:
"I think it would be a little bit [messed up if social media disappeared]. I spend 99% of my time indoors in front of my computer, if I'm not playing games, I'm watching pirated videos. If I'm not watching videos, maybe I'm reading an article. I'm always online. And I hardly step out of my room. I have had issues with my dad. He said my room is too creepy. I should come outside and play with people but I'm not really good at making friends. So, it's a bit hard on me." - Teen boy "[When] we were younger, [social media] didn't have an effect on us and social media wasn't as big as it is now. I feel like we were more free and more happy, and no stress or overthinking or insecure." - Teen girl
For more quotes and themes from the focus groups, see Chapter 3.

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Monica Anderson, Emily A. Vogels, Andrew Perrin and Lee Rainie

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Connection, Creativity and Drama: Teen Life on Social Media in 2022

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Majorities of teens credit social media with strengthening their friendships and providing support while also noting the emotionally charged side of these platforms.

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CommonLit | Watch Out: Cell Phones Can Be Addictive [Answer Key] | CommonLit

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Get the PDF and answer keys for 'Watch Out: Cell Phones Can Be Addictive'. Kathiann Kowalski covers the results of Dr. James Roberts' 2014 cell phone study.

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CommonLit | No, Mobile Phones Should Not Be Banned in UK schools

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Although many teens think access to a smartphone is a right, owning a phone is definitely a privilege. And there may be times when taking that privilege away could be the best thing for your teen. Be on the lookout for signs your teen's phone use is interfering with their behavior, grades, social life, or overall everyday functioning.

When to Restrict Your Teens's Cell Phone Use

There are many warning signs you may want to restrict your teen's phone privileges, including if they:

Break Your Phone Rules

It's important to create clear smartphone rules that outline your expectations. Your list of rules should address issues surrounding phone etiquette-like no texting during dinner-as well as rules that address safety issues-like no sending sexually explicit photos.

Rules should also address the financial aspects of owning a smartphone. If your teen goes over their data allowance because they're streaming movies, or they need a new phone because they lost theirs, make them financially responsible. Take away phone privileges until they pay the bill, or until they can purchase a new phone.

Aren't Doing Well in School

If your teen's grades are slipping, taking away their phone might be in order. Limiting phone use for a while might mean fewer distractions while doing homework.

But more importantly, you can use the phone as a motivator to get good grades. Say, "When you get caught up on all your homework, you can have your phone back." Earning phone privileges could be the incentive they need to get serious about school work.

Can't Sleep

While all electronics could interfere with a good night's sleep, smartphones can be especially problematic. If your teen is having trouble waking up for school on time, or he sleeps especially late on the weekends, it could be a sign his phone is keeping him up at night. Midnight text messages from friends or checking social media when he wakes at 2 a.m. might be the culprit. Don't let your teen sleep with a smartphone in the bedroom.

Create a rule that says all smartphones get turned off at a certain hour like 9 p.m. Then charge phones in the kitchen (or another common room) during overnight hours. Then, your teen won't feel pressured to take part in late-night conversations with his friends.

Share Inappropriate Information

If your teen uses their smartphone to share inappropriate messages on social media, or you learn they're giving out your address to strangers, it's important to intervene. Your teen might not only damage their online reputation, but they also may get caught up in some unhealthy activity.

Additionally, talk about the dangers of spreading rumors, cyberbullying, and getting caught up in inappropriate conversations. Discuss how some people tend to say things online they wouldn't normally say in person and make sure they know how hurtful their online comments can be.

Seem Addicted

There are reasons why many teens constantly feel the need to be on social media. A positive social media interaction or a quick text message gives them a boost in confidence. So, they keep going back for more feedback. But, being attached to a smartphone all day can become quite problematic. If your teen is texting, scrolling, and gaming interfere with her ability to get work done, set some healthy limits on how much your teen is allowed to use the phone.

Consider doing a digital detox, as well. Set aside a screen-free weekend for the whole family or make every Saturday a day without cell phones. Creating activities that don't involve technology can remind your teen she can have fun without her phone.

Are Obsessed With Selfies

While selfies may sound harmless on the surface, taking constant self-portraits can actually pose several problems. For some teens, the quest to capture the perfect selfie can become a true obsession. For others, the desire to take an epic selfie leads to dangerous decisions. Some teens are risking their lives to capture selfies on the edge of a cliff or while performing dangerous stunts all in an effort to gain attention and admiration.

Are Overly Focused on Social Media

Some teens grow dependent on social media to fuel their self-worth. When they receive positive comments and likes on their social media activity, they feel good about themselves. But if they aren't drawing enough positive attention, their self-esteem plummets.

Other teens create online personas that bear little resemblance to their real lives. They create social media profiles under fake names or chat with strangers under false pretenses because they enjoy pretending they are someone else.

It's dangerous for teens to make their self-esteem dependent upon their online activities. Not only do they expose themselves to online dangers-like catfish and cyberbullies-but they're also measuring their self-worth in an unhealthy manner. It's important to help your teen feel good about who he is as a person, not just how he feels about his online presence.

Are Missing Out on Real Life

Whether you're vacationing in the Grand Canyon or you're at a professional sporting event, it's common to see teens with their noses buried in their phones. It's also common to see teens ignore the people standing right in front of them so they can text someone else.

If your teen's cell phone use crosses the line from being a tool that enhances their life to an object that interferes with living, restrict their privileges. They may need your help to set limits on how much they stare at their phone.

Are Using the Phone While Driving

If your teen can't resist replying to a text message when he's driving, or he can't refrain from scrolling through social media every time he gets to a traffic light, his cell phone use could have fatal consequences. Establish a zero-tolerance policy for cell phone use while driving.

Whether you install an app that restricts his ability to use his phone, or you tell him to keep his phone in the glove box, talk about the dangers of distracted driving. If your teen isn't mature enough to follow the rules, he's not ready to be behind the wheel. Not only might you need to restrict his phone privileges, but you also might consider restricting his driving privileges.

Concerns About Taking Away a Teen's Phone

There may be several reasons that you're hesitant to restrict your teen's phone privileges. Here are some of the most common questions and concerns parents have.

Can I take my teen's phone away if they paid for the phone?Yes, whether the phone was a gift from Grandma or your teen bought their own phone, you can still take the phone away from them while they're a minor living under your roof. Even if they pay the bill, you can restrict their phone access.

How long should I take my teen's phone away?It depends on the problem. You may simply restrict your teen's privileges for certain hours during the day. Or, you might want to say they can earn their phone back when they improve their grades or complete their chores on time. Just make sure you don't ground them indefinitely, as that can backfire. Taking the phone away for 24 hours can be a good starting place.

What about safety issues?Letting your teen go to school without a phone in their pocket or allowing them to walk down the street without a phone isn't likely to cause them harm. After all, you likely grew up without access to a cell phone. If there are certain activities that would make him safer to have a phone, consider allowing him to carry a phone during those times only.

Won't my teen just use their other electronics anyway?If your teen is having trouble keeping themself safe on social media or they're engaging in cyberbullying, you may need to take away all of their electronics for a specified time. Otherwise, they might use their laptop, tablet, or other devices to access the internet in lieu of their phone.

​Safe Phone Usage for Teens

Allowing your teen to have a cell phone is an incredible privilege. Whether a phone allows you to keep better tabs on your teen-which means they can stay out later-or he uses an app to remind him of his schedule, a smartphone can help your teen navigate life more easily.

With appropriate guidance and supervision, teens can discover how to safely integrate technology into their lives. Just make sure to intervene if your teen is developing unhealthy cell phone habits, or if their phone use introduces new problems into their life.

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9 Signs You Should Restrict Your Teen's Smartphone Privileges

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Although many teens think access to a smartphone is a right, owning a phone is definitely a privilege. And there may be times when taking that privilege away could be the best thing for your teen. Be on the lookout for signs your teen's phone use is interfering with their behavior, grades, social life, or overall everyday functioning.

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Cell phones are consistently viewed in a negative light - especially when children are involved. Some parents are mightily against giving their child a phone, while others are more relaxed.

Well, believe it or not, it could be beneficial for your child to own a cell phone. To help explain this, take a look at these reasons why kids should have cell phones:

What happens if you're running late picking your child up from school? They'll be waiting around for ages getting worried. With a cell phone, you can call them to explain the situation. Now, they can hold tight without being concerned.

The same goes for instances where they may need to get hold of you. Without a cell phone, the only other option is a pay phone. Needless to say, most of these are now extinct. So, to save you from worrying, they can pick up their phone, send a text, and everything is okay.

Older children may need a cell phone to talk to their friends. Otherwise, your child will be moping around the house because they have nobody to talk to! With a phone, they can call or text whenever they like.

This is particularly useful if they have friends that live far away from them. Perhaps they made a friend on holiday once, or maybe someone from their school moved away? Thanks to cell phones, your child can keep in touch with friends from all over the world in an instant.

Yes, cell phones actually make your children safer. Some phones can be tracked by GPS with phone tracking apps, so you always know where your child is. This can come in handy if they ever get lost - or if there's an earthquake or natural disaster and you need to know if your child is safe or not.

Plus, phones have some extra safety features built-in as well. With an iPhone, there's a setting that lets you trigger an emergency alarm. So, if your child is ever in a situation where they need to draw attention to themselves, then this helps keep them safe.

#4 To develop essential skills

Like it or not, we live in a tech-driven world. The earlier your child starts using technology, the better. Give your child a cell phone, so they get to grips with a lot of modern techs from a young age. This helps develop their skills and knowledge, which can assist them as they study or look for work later in life.

Realistically, if a child doesn't grow up with a cell phone, then they'll be held back in this modern world. You may not think it matters now, but it will make a big difference when they're older and applying for jobs.

You don't have enough time to keep your child occupied all the time. Often, the easiest way to keep them quiet is to let them play a game on your phone. If they have one of their own, then they won't complain about long car journeys ever again!

#6 To help create memories

The beauty of modern cell phones is that they come with cameras. As such, your child has the ability to create new memories by taking photos of things. The next time you go on holiday as a family, they will take pictures and keep them forever. It strangely makes them more active on holidays and family days out. Instead of skulking around looking bored, they're actively going around looking for photo opportunities.

#7 To download educational apps

A cell phone isn't just for fun. If you're smart about how your child uses it, then they will learn a lot from it. We've already spoken about how they develop technical skills, but they can also develop other skills as well. There are plenty of educational apps to download from various app stores. Here, your child can start improving their math skills, learning a new language, etc. It's an underrated feature of cell phones; learning on the go.

#8 To improve their organization

Children can be incredibly unorganized at the best of times. If they have homework to do, then they'll most likely forget it unless you remind them. A cell phone can solve this issue by giving them tools to improve their daily organization.

They can use their phone to set reminders, so they never forget to do things. Likewise, there are not taking apps that they can use to their advantage as well.

Another advantage of a cell phone is that it gives your child access to something like Google Maps. So, if they ever get lost and need to find their way home, then they can use this to help them. The same goes for if you're out in a busy shopping center or on holiday and they lose sight of you. Tell them where you are, then they can use maps to find you.

#10 To inspire trust between you

Kids can often feel like you don't trust them to do anything. A relationship that's built on trust is a healthy relationship. So, an excellent way to show your children that you trust them is by giving them a cell phone. It's a big thing to them, and they'll really feel proud that you trusted them to look after a phone of their own. A small gesture like this can work wonders for your relationship.

#11 To encourage responsibility

Similarly, it's a good idea to give your child a cell phone as it encourages responsibility. This will likely be the first expensive piece of equipment they own. Tell them that if it breaks, they have to pay for it. If they run out of credit or go over their monthly allowance, then they pay for it. Doing so teaches them to be responsible and look after their possessions.

As you can see, giving your kid a cell phone can be very beneficial. There are lots of advantages that come with this, so stop viewing the idea in such a negative light. Just make sure you try and monitor their cell phone usage, so they're not glued to it 24/7.

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11 Reasons Why Kids Should Have Cell Phones - Family Orbit Blog

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Your kids can benefit a lot from having a cell phone. From keeping them safe to improved socialization, here are 11 reasons why your child should get a phone.

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88% of teens own or have access to a cellphone or smartphone. Parents are grappling with some of the downsides of their children being constantly distracted by technology. Consider your own kid's maturity level and how they will use the cellphone.

As kids become more independent, cellphones are a great way to reach them on the go. After all, you can't beat getting real-time updates on their whereabouts and schedule changes. But should kids have cellphones? For most parents, it's not all about age. You'll also need to consider your own kid's maturity level, how your child will use the cellphone, and the potential drawbacks involved.

What are the benefits of kids having cellphones?

Getting a cellphone, or a smartphone, has become a milestone for many kids, allowing them to fit in with their classmates and build trust with their parents through frequent communication.

As far as safety goes, smartphones are helpful in emergencies and can even help you locate your child using the GPS function. The safety element is especially appropriate for teens who drive, but there's an argument for younger kids to get their own device, too. Keeping pace with technology helps kids stay competitive in an increasingly connected society. And as your kid may have pointed out, your cellphone data plan probably accommodates a few extra lines.

Those are some of the main reasons parents buy their kids cellphones, according to Nielsen's Fourth Quarter 2016 Mobile Kids Report report. And according to a 2015 Pew Research Center study, some 88 percent of teens own or have access to a cellphone or smartphone.

The drawbacks of children owning cellphones

Now that so many kids and teens are carrying smartphones, families are grappling with some of the downsides of being constantly distracted by technology. Here are three of them.

1. Health concerns

As if it wasn't hard enough to get your kid to bed, cellphones are contributing to the problem. Studies have found a considerable link between using smartphones and getting less sleep in the teen demographic. Teens who don't sleep enough may perform poorly in school and are at higher risk of obesity. In a 2014 study, 80 percent of teens said they use their phones when they're supposed to be sleeping.

Radiation is another health concern. Cellphones work by using radio waves, which is a form of radiation. So whether you're holding your device to your ear or sleeping with it near your head, your body may be absorbing this energy, according to the National Cancer Institute. However, research still hasn't definitively linked this exposure to health problems in children and teenagers, according to the U.S. Food & Drug Administration. To offset potential effects, use the speaker mode or a headset - or simply use your phone less, the FDA says.

2. Safety concerns

The internet can be a great tool for education and communication, but it can also be a dangerous place. Giving your child a smartphone means giving them access to the internet and social media platforms. This could make them more susceptible to internet predators and cyberbullying. Other threats include age-inappropriate content, hate speech, and scams.

Teens with a cellphone and set of car keys deal can represent another safety concern: talking and driving. Researchers have found that cell-phone use can increase the odds of being in an auto accident by four times - a risk comparable to that of driving impaired, according to the American Psychological Association. Further, nearly a third of all traffic accidents involve drivers who are texting or talking on a phone, according to data published in 2015 by the National Safety Council.

3. Chance of losing or breaking the device

The average smartphone cost in North America is nearly $600. Putting that device in your kid's hands means trusting them with an expensive piece of equipment. For young kids, if you're spending this much money for a cell phone, it may be smart to consider adding cellphone insurance to your payment plan.

4. Full access to the internet and all potentially risky content

A smartphone may give your kid access to just about everything on the internet. That may include graphic, disturbing, or illegal content. Even a mainstream news site could broadcast coverage which may not be age appropriate for your child. A smartphone also comes with the possibility that your child may click on a link that downloads malware onto the device. If you give your child a smartphone, it's a good idea to provide guidelines and advice on how to help avoid some of the risks. It's also wise to install mobile device protection for Android or iOS phone.

Should I buy my child a smartphone?

If you think your kid should have a cellphone, the first choice you'll have to make is whether to get a smartphone or a basic mobile phone without a data plan or internet connectivity.

Weigh the pros of a smartphone - like a high-quality camera and photo-editing tools for enhancing social media profiles - against the cons. Those include health and safety concerns, plus the chance your kid will damage or lose the device. Consider your child's maturity level and how they will use the phone. What makes you both feel comfortable and happy?

Smartphone alternatives for kids

For parents not ready to give their children access to a smartphone, here are two basic phones to look at.

LG GizmoGadget™ wireless wearable

This wristwatch is a possible smartphone alternative for younger kids. You can program selected contacts for your child to call, set up a limited text feature, and track their whereabouts with the GPS. There are also a few kid-friendly apps and games.

Nokia 3310

This small, lightweight mobile phone is good for tweens or teens. It offers a camera, an MP3 player, a handful of games, and very limited internet access. The battery can even be set to standby for a month - a feature that your battery-hungry smartphone can't even begin to compute.

Setting smartphone rules with your child

Your kids will be more open to following the rules if you explain why they exist. Have a family meeting about phone rules and establish expectations for them.

Discuss internet etiquette

Give your kids a lesson in navigating internet anonymity, cyberbullying, and online etiquette. Here are some general ground rules for kids and teens to follow:

Respect people when texting.

Don't answer phone calls from a number you don't know.

Ask permission before you snap a photo of someone, take a video, forward a photo or video, or post them online.

Talk to your parents or another trusted adult if someone is cyberbullying you.

Think about whether anything you're posting would embarrass someone.

Be safe when using location services.

Monitor your kid's phone

This doesn't mean constantly snooping on your kids' texts, but ask them to share their passwords and social media profiles with you. Depending on the child's age, tell them you'll occasionally check their social media profiles, text messages, and call logs to make sure they're using the phone appropriately and safely.

Limit screen time, calls, and texts

Not all smartphone activities are beneficial. There's a difference between mindlessly browsing social media and engaging with friends or working on school projects. Agree on a set number of hours your kids can use the phone during the day or week, which could include caps on the number of text messages and phone minutes they use. Then designate times the cell phone should be turned off - such as during family time, during school, and right before bed.

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88% of teens own or have access to a cellphone or smartphone. Parents are grappling with some of the downsides of their children being constantly distracted by technology. Consider your own kid's maturity level and how they will use the cellphone.