We believe that it’s only a matter of time until habitual smartphone use is listed officially as an addiction in the mental health community. One reason for this is that we know, anecdotally, that all of us who are smartphone users, young and old alike, find ourselves consistently drawn to those little hand-held screens and the rabbit-hole of the world that sits behind the glass. Researchers at King’s College in London have found that nearly forty percent of their students exhibited symptoms of addiction to their smartphones. These students reported feeling that their phone use was out of control and that being separated from their phones was a cause for major anxiety. They also report that their phone use kept them from doing other things that they knew they needed to do. As time marches on and smartphones become more entrenched in our culture and experience, our kids need parents who model God-honoring stewardship of their own time, and who set limits on screentime so that their own kids don’t get addicted.
Screentime and Addiction
September 10, 2021