Article: Have Smartphones Destroyed a Generation?

[Jean in Newcastle]

Doesn't make for click bait though, an article like:

 

Studies show mixed results for technology use. Some teens use them productively and wisely, some don't. We might have to look a bit deeper for causes on any proven increase in mental illness.

 

In the meantime, just be aware that like any tool, phones can help or harm, and as parents, you can help your teen balance their use. 

 

PRECISELY!  (Sorry for yelling but I really really really agree.)  I think that we should do a study on the harmful effects of sensationalized click bait. 

[Bluegoat]

Then don't use them.  But I have been teaching and interacting with teens for over 30 years professionally.  I have no problem as a parent with moderating the use of what I see as a helpful tool.  I don't think that they have as bad a harmful effect as the author of this article implies - even when I look at his graphs - partly because he's not limiting variables to only that of Smartphones and is sensationalizing things.  I object to this article as junk "science". 

 

"Then don't use them" is pretty much the cry of individualistic capitalism that thinks that society is just a bunch of unrelated individuals.

 

How would you know if a tool was having an effect like the one suggested?

[Jean in Newcastle]

"Then don't use them" is pretty much the cry of individualistic capitalism that thinks that society is just a bunch of unrelated individuals.

 

How would you know if a tool was having an effect like the one suggested?

 

OK?  Then lobby the government to remove Smartphones from the marketplace?  But unless that happens, I'm going to take responsibility for myself and my family.  Forgive me if I don't put you in charge.  And I'm not going to put that "researcher" in charge either. 

[Bluegoat]

OK?  Then lobby the government to remove Smartphones from the marketplace?  But unless that happens, I'm going to take responsibility for myself and my family.  Forgive me if I don't put you in charge.  And I'm not going to put that "researcher" in charge either. 

 

No one has said they should be removed from the market.  I'm not sure why that's always the assumed intent of anyone questioning the effects of something.

 

The suggestion seems to be we should look at them more carefully, and be wary of assuming they are benign, especially for children.  Perhaps that would lead to some kind of management - after all, we create legal or regulatory limits of all kinds.  We don't sell alcohol to kids.  There are recommendations for tv time for toddlers.  We might decide to ban use of some screens from schools so as to limit time spent on phones and tablets and such.

 

But I think it is pretty disingenuous to imply that effects of technology are only at an individualistic level - clearly they aren't, when society changes around a new technology people simply can't decide to opt out because they would like to. If my town is built around cars, I can't just walk everywhere.  I am not able simply just to ditch FB because it is the only way I can get important information about homeschool activities.  I can't decide not to have a cell phone if my job expects I have one or will constantly be available.  It doesn't matter if I have concerns about the social effects, or medical issues, or addiction issues.

[Pen]

As I said in my first post (I think) in this thread, Smartphones are a tool.  They have redeemable value as a tool that I do not think that cigarettes have (despite some people thinking that cigarettes help with weight loss etc).  Do I think that we should be aware of the possibility of depression in general and depression specifically tied to technology?  Sure.  And do I think that there should be some balance in how people use Smartphones or social media or anything for that matter?  Sure.  Will some people choose not to use them at all because they don't want the risk at all of depression from technology or "being destroyed" (which for the record is a very unobjective conclusion for a researcher to come to)?  Sure, just like some people choose to eat no meat or to drink no alcohol or any other thing which might be considered ok in moderation by most people but do have some risks involved.  Just like anything - some people are better at moderating their use of things - perhaps some more than other.  And it may very well ebb and flow as well as people are initially enamored with and then get tired of their shiny new toy. 

 

I do not think that this was a balanced article.  It smacks too much of Chicken Little to me so I'm not going to run out to grab Smartphones from the hands of all the adolescents I know.  Some of the responses to this thread are not all that balanced either.  But other than pointing that out, I really don't care if others don't want to use Smartphones or any technology for that matter.  I assume that people are going to make choices that work best for their family. 

 

My Smartphone has made my life easier in many ways.  I did very well without it and if something happened so that I couldn't have one it wouldn't be the end of the world.  But I do appreciate them as a very useful tool.  My kids have found Smartphones to be helpful as well.  And we've found them helpful as a family - as in allowing us to schedule and do things as a family - not just as individuals. 

 

edited because grammar matters. 

 

 

I also use one (not very smart, but not dumbphone) and find it useful for things like listening to audible, alarms, etc., as well as on occasion a call or text.

 

But it also is changing things socially in ways that may not be positive, even aside from possible negative physical health and environmental impacts. which may not be reversible even if SPs were all given up.  

 

 

For example: My ds went back to b&m school last year and whereas the long rural bus rides used to be a social time between kids, the trend now is kids isolated each with a cell phone, playing games or watching Supergirl, or whatever. (Same was true at homeschool co-op when my ds went to that...though in that case I have no experience of how co-op used to be before cell phones.)  Or, at activities of my ds in the waiting area, each parent seems to be absorbed privately in her own little phone world.  And the kids are involved in their individual AP worlds when not actively involved in doing the activity. So there is much less irl interaction.  And even if personally one chooses not to use an SP, that the world around has changed means it has still created more isolation.  Maybe that is just local where I am though.

 

 

I am also concerned about the physical ramifications.  As with the social issues, I don't think there is a single cause for various problems, but EMFs may well be a contributor. And even if one chooses personally to be without a smartphone, the wireless radiation is becoming nearly ubiquitous and unavoidable regardless of personal choice or decisions.

 

 

 

Edited August 7, 2017 by Pen

[SKL]

Well I'm just gonna say that I've had a smart phone longer than I've had home internet ... and home internet has screwed with my brain a lot worse than smart phones.

 

Actually WTM discussions screw with my brain much more than anything I do on my smart phone.  :P

 

I do see a lot of sensationalizing here.

 

All things do in moderation.  Ancient but timeless advice.

[wintermom]

People are more than just physical bodies. 

 

When it comes to overuse of electronic devices, most of the time it's the sitting around at home for hours on end, day after day, year after year, that seems to be the negative aspect. It's not the learning and mental stimulation and all the positive aspects related to these that cause issues. So ya, we are mental and spiritual beings, but outside of eating, too many people forget that we are in fact primarily physical beings. We need to move and be in physical contact with other humans. 

[TravelingChris]

I am old enough that I remember all the warnings about tvs.  How they were harming our eyes.  How their radiation did awful things to us.  Look, I even knew people somewhat older who had radiation administered by choice and they got thyroid cancer many years later but then they went on with their lives- and that was unnecessary and dangerous radiation treatments.  We do know a lot about effects of electricity since it has been around for so many years.  We know a lot about all the possible rays around us.  There is a slight increase in brain cancer in people who work in radio transmissions.  Not people who get radio transmissions on their radios or tv or internet. 

 

Are there problems with not having enough sleep?  Absolutely.  There are countless studies of ill health effects of not enough sleep.  Are people getting addicted to computers? Yes, some are.  Pretty much the same amount of people who get addicted to most things=8%.  We tried prohibition to stop the effect of alcohol on that 8%.  We know that it lead to widespread criminal activity, corruption and other ill effects.  It also probably led to quicker deaths for many people who stopped drinking the beneficial 2 glasses of wine a day (or equivalent other alcohol) which is known to lessen the death rate.  I think that new technology always leads to some benefits and some costs. 

 

As to riding the bus, I would have preferred that everyone on my bus when I was in junior high was greatly involved in cell phones.  What was going on instead on my bus was horrible bullying particularly of the handicapped children riding but also of anyone who didn't meet the bullies expectations like being Asian, wearing glasses, having a small bust or a large one, etc, etc,  I rode the bus a few times and then just gave up and walked the long distance because it was so bad and hated seeing it.  If they are on cell phones, it is a step up from my experience.

[BarbecueMom]

For example: My ds went back to b&m school last year and whereas the long rural bus rides used to be a social time between kids, the trend now is kids isolated each with a cell phone, playing games or watching Supergirl, or whatever.

I remember those long bus rides. What I don't remember is a single positive social interaction that ever came out of it (or the entire middle years of school, for that matter). Bullying, physical assault, sexual harassment. Then you get off the bus and, voila!, now you have neighborhood kids with the same issues.

 

Honestly, I would have had less social baggage if I'd been locked in a room alone from ages 9-15. At least phones can be shut off. It's hard to think of a non violent way to "shut off" the kids that ride their bikes past your house or trap you in a bus seat and scream nasty things at you.

[Jean in Newcastle]

When it comes to overuse of electronic devices, most of the time it's the sitting around at home for hours on end, day after day, year after year, that seems to be the negative aspect. It's not the learning and mental stimulation and all the positive aspects related to these that cause issues. So ya, we are mental and spiritual beings, but outside of eating, too many people forget that we are in fact primarily physical beings. We need to move and be in physical contact with other humans.

I agree but I don't see this as a smartphone specific problem.

[Pen]

I remember those long bus rides. What I don't remember is a single positive social interaction that ever came out of it (or the entire middle years of school, for that matter). Bullying, physical assault, sexual harassment. Then you get off the bus and, voila!, now you have neighborhood kids with the same issues.

 

Honestly, I would have had less social baggage if I'd been locked in a room alone from ages 9-15. At least phones can be shut off. It's hard to think of a non violent way to "shut off" the kids that ride their bikes past your house or trap you in a bus seat and scream nasty things at you.

 

 

I'm sorry to hear that.

 

I can recall a few bad incidents, but mostly the school bus was fun during middle school when I took it.  And the bus social time to long distance sports competitions often used to be more fun than the competition.

[BarbecueMom]

I'm sorry to hear that.

 

I can recall a few bad incidents, but mostly the school bus was fun during middle school when I took it. And the bus social time to long distance sports competitions often used to be more fun than the competition.

Oh by high school age and riding to competitions it got a lot more fun, once we had more in common than "happen to live in the same crappy neighborhood". Once, I kissed a boy on a long, dark bus trip during my junior year in high school. 18 years later, that guy is currently sitting next to me, shoving leftover birthday ice cream in his face quickly before our children pop out of bed and catch him.

 

But middle school? Just awful. I'm still not entirely convinced we shouldn't replace 12 year old boys with virtual presence devices that can be unplugged for bad behavior.

[Bluegoat]

I also use one (not very smart, but not dumbphone) and find it useful for things like listening to audible, alarms, etc., as well as on occasion a call or text.

 

But it also is changing things socially in ways that may not be positive, even aside from possible negative physical health and environmental impacts. which may not be reversible even if SPs were all given up.  

 

 

For example: My ds went back to b&m school last year and whereas the long rural bus rides used to be a social time between kids, the trend now is kids isolated each with a cell phone, playing games or watching Supergirl, or whatever. (Same was true at homeschool co-op when my ds went to that...though in that case I have no experience of how co-op used to be before cell phones.)  Or, at activities of my ds in the waiting area, each parent seems to be absorbed privately in her own little phone world.  And the kids are involved in their individual AP worlds when not actively involved in doing the activity. So there is much less irl interaction.  And even if personally one chooses not to use an SP, that the world around has changed means it has still created more isolation.  Maybe that is just local where I am though.

 

 

I am also concerned about the physical ramifications.  As with the social issues, I don't think there is a single cause for various problems, but EMFs may well be a contributor. And even if one chooses personally to be without a smartphone, the wireless radiation is becoming nearly ubiquitous and unavoidable regardless of personal choice or decisions.

 

Some rural regions here have Wifi on the school busses now.  So that's another two hours a day for many kids spent on their devices.  

[Jean in Newcastle]

I told dd15 about this thread and she pointed out that no one under age 30 uses FB anymore.  ;)

 

 

[Heathermomster]

This 47yo doesn't Facebook. My crazy relatives came out of the woodwork when it became popular 10 or so years back, and DH and I quickly left that scene. I saw an article about teenagers in households making less than $70k  $50k annually are more likely to use Facebook.

DS gave up SnapChat last night on his own volition. We've been discussing it for awhile. He had access for a year to keep connected with all of his peeps that attend school elsewhere. He has diversity with his friends except at the local cover, where he was shunned his 11th grade year....DS was flat out uninvited to group activities because of a mean girl. The kids would link him to activities and show him what he was missing using the app GroupMe. It was nuts, and the experience hurt him. A girl apologized to him prior to the end of the school year, so he feels a little better. He trusts none of them now. Thankfully, DS acted normal and never gave them the satisfaction of complaining or acting hurt.

At another co-op, my BFF's DD was ridiculed online because of another mean girl. The mean girl's boyfriend and his chums piled onto my teenaged friend for the fun of it using Instagram. It took a day or so to recognize the issues and lock down her privacy settings.

I recall being bullied in high school well. Social media makes things worse as you cannot go home and escape the nonsense.

My DS has a ton of tech exposure due to his SLDs for handwriting and reading. Apps like Kindle, Audible, Evernote, BookShare, and Quizlet are amazing, but the social media aspects of the phones are the pits. DS struggles to find people that want to hike and fish. A friend was home from college this summer, so they designed, built, and painted long boards. DH and I are discussing the purchase of a cheap flip phone for DS.

Edited August 8, 2017 by Heathermomster

[TravelingChris]

My kids do use facebook and many of my kids friends do too- I am friends with some of them too.  I am actually friends with a number of younger adults on facebook from some people from church, to kids I have taught or led (Odyssey of the Mind) to friends of theirs I have met.  The trend with young people that I see is the ones with multi-aged friends are on facebook and that includes many of the kids they have befriended. 

 

As to the income level, the young people I know who are on facebook all come from wealthier than average families, not lower than average. 

 

As far as I know, I am on the only active Twitter user (note user since I never tweet anything except a response like great or I will pray or something like that) in my family.  I decided to use it to get quicker updates on news happening than I otherwise get and also to get news I don't get normally,,

[Pen]

When it comes to overuse of electronic devices, most of the time it's the sitting around at home for hours on end, day after day, year after year, that seems to be the negative aspect. It's not the learning and mental stimulation and all the positive aspects related to these that cause issues. So ya, we are mental and spiritual beings, but outside of eating, too many people forget that we are in fact primarily physical beings. We need to move and be in physical contact with other humans. 

 

 

I agree but I don't see this as a smartphone specific problem.

 

 

With regard to this specific problem, cell phones may be less an issue than some types of electronic devices...   I can listen to an Audible book on my SP while I am washing dishes, for example. Don't need to just sit with them like for many larger devices, and they go outside easily. But the portability also may allow more use and more addiction.

 

Some rural regions here have Wifi on the school busses now.  So that's another two hours a day for many kids spent on their devices.  

 

 

Sure. 2 hrs on bus, an hour  or two in bits scattered through the day, and then maybe from 9PM to midnight, or so...    My guess is a lot of kids are doing that sort of things around here.

 

Even without bus WiFi, content (for example some TV programs, movies and games) can be downloaded while there is connection and then seen/used while there is not.

 

In theory, I guess this would at least allow for something "educational" to be being done. But that is not what seems to be actually the case.  Rather it seems to be gaming, music, and movies that are the main focus here during bus ride time.

 

Wifi on school busses becomes another issue if there is a physical issue with the wifi itself--a little bit like secondhand smoke-- where even more, no one can avoid the exposure.

 

Also, as this forum has people from different places, what is noticed in different places may be quite different because different countries have instituted different legal requirements.  So not only may a US kid perhaps be using a SP more than one in, say, France or UK or Australia, but some other places may have more limits on number or strength of mast towers, WiFi in libraries, etc.  There seems to have been more done in Scandinavia also, perhaps, and  I read that Paris got rid of WiFi in libraries after many staff workers got sick.

 

Not a surprise, really. USA had lead in paint being advertised for use in children's rooms long after some other places had come to understand it was dangerous.

 

 

Possibly of interest if still avail (I'm using a dial-up connection so can't see): www.BioInitiative.org