Education
Understanding Teen Device Usage: The Reality Behind 'Phones' and Social Media
This article explores the misconception of calling smartphones 'phones' among teens, the financial burden of multiple devices, sleep deprivation, academic challenges, and the allure of extreme social media content.
6 min read
Originally published by barbadostoday.bb (opens in new tab)
The Misnomer
I spoke with teens about the device they hold so dear to their hearts. For some unknown reason, adults and children still call it a phone. A mother said, “I bought my child a phone for her sixth birthday.” No, you did not buy a phone, stop it. You bought your child a social media device, which happens to be able to make phone calls.
The Misconception
How many people do our six-year-old children call or text? How many hours do our children spend on social media versus calling someone else? Some youth told me they spend around 6 to 8 hours per day on social media and maybe five minutes communicating with another person. When I told parents they bought a social media device, they all looked like monkeys staring at headlights, unsure of what to say. They all thought they had bought a phone. This is where our self-delusion begins.
The Financial Burden
Another teen said they had six phones before age 12. How is this possible in a family that seems to be very financially challenged? These devices are expensive. Two of the phones were water damaged in the toilet bowl, and another was damaged while bathing in the bathroom. Shake my head. Seriously, who takes their phone to the bathroom? When I surveyed the group, they all confessed they use their phones in the bathroom and in the toilet. When I appeared shocked, they laughed and called me weird for not having these lived experiences.
Sleep Deprivation and Academic Challenges
Another group said they take their devices to bed, and about fifty percent agreed that 3-4 a.m. was their actual bedtime. They admitted this might be why they are challenged to fully absorb school lessons in the morning. Now we know why some children are struggling at school.
The Allure of Extremes
They confess that they are drawn to the most extreme, most intense and most shocking content on social media. This certainly raises questions about the psychology behind it all. Can such content create an addiction loop? We have to ask, are their young minds being wired to crave more and more intense stimuli? If it’s comedy, music, violence, or dance, it must be the most vulgar, most sensual, deadly, and most immoral version of it. Passive, mild, and moderate are not part of their craving. The youth gravitate to the extremes, and without restraint, they acquire a taste for it and love it. It’s addictive, and they suffer breakdowns and serious withdrawal symptoms if you dare separate them from their devices. It’s scary to think that our youth are seeing these things online daily for hours and we know it, but are in denial and pretend its just a phone to excuse ourselves as accidental accomplices.
