Constant cell phone use by teenagers can hinder their development. Find out more!
Have you ever wondered how many times a day you check your phone? According to a study conducted with 200 teenagers aged 11 to 17, they check their devices more than 100 times a day. All of the teenagers who participated in the study, conducted by Common Sense Media, are Android phone users. The study used software to collect data from their phones.
The non-profit organization is based in the United States and seeks to help children, parents and schools make the best use of smartphones. The results of the study showed that more than half of the study participants received more than 237 notifications per day.
The study also found that 23% of the notifications arrived during school hours. During this time, almost all participants used their phones at least once, for an average of 43 minutes, and more than six hours in extreme cases.
Continue reading and learn more about this subject and the impact of excessive cell phone use among teenagers.
Excessive cell phone use
According to neuropediatricians, excessive cell phone use by teenagers can have a significant impact on neural development and also on mint well-beingl. Excessive gaming and social media use activates the brain's reward system, the dopaminergic system. This causes some teenagers to become addicted, as it releases dopamine, a neurotransmitter that generates well-being.
High levels of dopamine during the expectation phase impair access to other parts of the brain, such as the prefrontal cortex, which is responsible for planning behavior, thoughts and decision-making. Continuous use of cell phones can also lead to a decrease in the ability to concentrate.
The Brazilian Society of Pediatrics (SBP) stipulates a maximum of three hours of screen time per day for adolescents between the ages of 11 and 18 and recommends that this time be distributed throughout the day. Parents can help with this control by analyzing how their child uses the cell phone, the content accessed, the time spent during the day and all the developments that this may have. excessive use of screens may even lead to the addiction.
Public consultation
The federal government launched a public consultation on Tuesday (10) with the aim of creating an Official Guide for the conscious use of cell phones and tablets by children and adolescents, on the Participa.br platform. The document is the beginning of a discussion that may incorporate, in the future, measures that affect providers and manufacturers.
It deals with the various problems that involve excessive screen time, such as access to violent content, exposure to bullying, harassment and inappropriate consumer relations. The managers take into account scientific studies on adverse effects and aim to hear from families and companies to develop recommendations for parental control. The consultation will be open for 45 days and the Working Group estimates that it will present the Guide in about a year. It is a joint initiative of the Digital Policies Secretariat of the Communications Secretariat of the Presidency of the Republic and the Ministries of Health, Education, Justice and Public Security, Human Rights and Citizenship and Development and Social Assistance, Family and Fight against Hunger.
