Children using mobile phones – these are the consequences

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Many people are affected, but few realize it. We look at mobile phone addiction from the perspective of five young people.

Lynn Gfeller, Leyla Hug, Florine Hüppi, Svenja Motsch, Meret Kamm

Watch the news on your phone first thing in the morning, browse pointless videos while eating lunch, and sleep with your phone on your bedside table at night. We have now formalized such processes. This condition occurs not only in adults but increasingly also in young people and children.

Although many people think they are not addicted to their phones, this is not always the case. There are little signs in our daily lives that indicate we have an insurmountable cell phone addiction.

We wanted to know if this was already the case in junior high schools and junior high schools, and asked students at the Binzholz school building in Walden how they use their phones.

Our non-representative survey of schools shows that children aged 7 to 12 use their phones for an average of about 2.5 hours a day.

The mobile phone has been used for about 8 years

Let's do a thought experiment. Let’s imagine that a 9-year-old child uses a mobile phone for two and a half hours a day and has a life expectancy of 85 years. According to our calculations, children use mobile phones for 17.5 hours per week, which is approximately 38 days per year. If we assume that cell phone usage remains constant at two and a half hours, this child will spend an incredible eight years on a small screen until the end of his life.

What is it like in Switzerland? ZHAW 2021 Mike Research shows that 43% of children aged 6 to 13 who participated in the survey already have their own mobile phone. This information is consistent with our observations.

That's a lot more than Pro Juventute suggests. For children aged 9 to 10, 60 to a maximum of 100 minutes of screen time is appropriate. From the age of 11, the agreed time quota is worthwhile. For example, a rule of thumb is one hour per week per age. Children aged 14 can work two hours a day.

Luckily, we're not too far yet: This is what an AI imagines a kid on the playground looking like.Image source: deepai/KI

If kids get unlimited cell phone time, this will be put to good use. Relationships have been greatly affected by mobile phones. Another problem is boredom; constant entertainment makes you forget how to deal with it.

Cell phones are a means to an end

We spoke with Nina Meier, Head of Digital Media at the Zurich Heights Addiction Prevention Center. She explains: “The phone is not something that makes you addicted. Most importantly, it is a means to an end.” What this means: You are addicted to gaming or Internet addiction. A like or a new level in the game triggers an addictive feeling of happiness. Mel: “If you take it in large amounts, you can become addicted.”

Excessive cell phone use may cause certain symptoms. Meyer lists: “You think about your phone even when you're offline, or you get irritated when you can't answer it. If you use your phone for too long, school grades tend to go down because the phone comes first . You might lose control of yourself.”

But Meyer also said: “The phone is not a bad thing.” But you have to use it correctly. If you suspect that you or someone else has a cell phone addiction, you should definitely investigate and seek professional help if necessary.

A video posted by the Instagram page “szene isch Züri” shows a calf trotting on the Europa Bridge in western Zurich. It was said to have been taken at 9am on Friday.