The use of smartphones is augmenting exponentially across the globe, especially among children aged between 9 and 19 years. According to a report of Britain’s Ofcom, 91% of the kids in Britain have their own smartphone by the time they turn 11, and by the time these children turn 19, 65% of them fall prey to depression.
In the USA, 37% of children aged between 9 and 11 years have their own smartphones. In 19 countries across Europe, 80% of the kids aged up to 13 years use the internet daily. By 19 years of age, 90% of the teenagers have their own smartphones.
Cambridge University’s professor, Amy Orban says that children as young as 8 years old create accounts on social media, and the chances of them getting abused online is higher. As per Orban, a balance needs to be maintained when it comes to the use of smartphones and social media, as even though this doesn’t affect the brain directly, but it can cause damage indirectly.
After research conducted on 1700 children, it was found out that girls aged between 11 and 13, and boys between the ages of 14 and 15, who start using social media, are less satisfied in life in the future. On the other hand, those who don’t use social media were found to be more satisfied and content.
As per Professor Sonia Livingstone from the London School of Economics, while smartphones and the internet is a requirement for today’s children, as through them, they are able to connect with the society in better ways, and get to know the answers to many questions, their parents need to control their use by their children.
