Smartphone addiction affects teens and parents alike

Tech addiction is a growing issue that’s often centered around children and teens, but adults are plenty susceptible to problematic behaviors and overuse when it comes to smartphone and social media use.

Pew Research Center surveyed teens ages 13 to 17 and their parents. It found that both groups have plenty of trouble unplugging. Of the teens surveyed, 54 percent said they spend too much time on their smartphones, compared with 36 percent of parents.

An even higher percentage of teens, 72 percent, said they check messages and notifications as soon as they wake up. As cultural norms continue to shift toward a reality where people never truly “log off,” 57 percent of parents said they do the same.

Tech addiction can have a number of negative effects, but often, the first and most prevalent is its effect on attention. Thirty-one percent of teens and 39 percent of parents surveyed said they’ve lost focus during class or work because they were checking their smartphones.

If any of these behaviors describe you, check out our tips for how you can start weaning yourself off smartphones and social media—or at least modulating and taking control of your usage.

This article originally published at PCMag
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