During the 2022-23 school year, Upper School history teacher Dave Marshall sent out a survey to his 11th grade classes. He asked them to share their smartphone habits, especially their usage of TikTok, and the results were extremely revealing. Nearly half the grade used the app for at least an hour a day, with some students using it as much as 4 hours a day. Another question on the survey revealed extreme cases of students using other apps for similarly extreme amounts of time. These behaviors show an inability to self-regulate smartphone use.

Since the rise of smartphones, children have become over-dependent on the constant stimulation they provide. According to a 2019 study from the United Kingdom, roughly 25% of young people engage in “problematic screen usage” (PSU), defined as disordered smartphone use, “such as anxiety when the phone was not available, or neglect of other activities”. PSU correlates to high rates of depression, anxiety, stress, and a decrease in sleep quality. When a quarter of young people are engaging in such unsustainable smartphone practices, parents, guardians, and teachers should be carefully monitoring how their children or students are engaging with their smartphones, and being on the lookout for potential “disordered” use.

The overuse of smartphones by tweens and teens is connected to decreased sleep time and quality. According to a study conducted in 2017 by ScienceDirect, from 2011-2013, many adolescents weren’t getting enough sleep, and by 2015, 16-17% more of adolescents did not reach 7 hours. The majority of research suggests that it’s essential for ages 12-17 to get a minimum of 8 hours of rest. This means that more than 40% of adolescents in the U.S. are sleep-deprived. “New media screen time” (electronic device use, social media, and reading news online) was assumed to be the cause of this decrease in sleep. 

The portability of smartphones also disturbs sleep. According to the PBS article, Analysis: Teens are sleeping less. Why?, the reason why young adults are not getting enough sleep is because, unlike other electronic devices (TVs and desktops), smartphones can be easily carried. A major reason for keeping a phone within reach in the bedroom is to use the alarm feature, but nighttime phone use goes beyond this for most. The blue light that a smartphone emits is mentally stimulating and causes disrupted sleep. It is necessary that teens get an adequate amount of sleep to recharge their batteries and function properly, just as they do their devices.

Diverging from technological functions, nearly half of all teens have experienced some form of cyberbullying, according to a 2022 Pew study. The most common form of cyberbullying experienced was offensive name-calling, but other forms included rumor spreading, physical threats, and the nonconsensual spread of sexually explicit photographs. Older girls, ages 15-17, are especially at high risk for cyberbullying. Smartphones can exacerbate this problem. According to a Penn State study, cyberbullying is linked to increased rates of anxiety, depression, and suicidal ideation. 

In a world that’s constantly going through technological revolutions, it’s important for youth to develop valuable skills in digital literacy. Digital literacy is defined by The American Library Association as “the ability to use information and communication technologies to find, evaluate, create, and communicate information, requiring both cognitive and technical skills.” These are all valuable skills to have, but they can be learned with devices that are not smartphones and with the help of teachers or parents. Classes on digital literacy, for example, could strengthen these skills in children. Adolescents need to maintain a balance between their online and offline lives. There are alternatives to smartphones that give all the communication benefits of a smartphone, with far fewer risks. Mobile phones allow users to call and text, with none of the distractions and unintended consequences caused by internet access. Though through smartphones, people are able to stay in touch, it is important that parents stress the importance of real-time communication.

Smartphones are part of everyday life for children. Despite the concerns presented, it is unlikely that there will be a dramatic decrease in usage, even in very young groups. Because of this, it is even more important for young people to use smartphones, social media, and the internet carefully and to be educated on the risks of overuse and problematic use.

The content in this article is representative of the opinions of the individual student journalist and does not represent the views of Friends Select School, The Falcon team, the administration, or faculty.