How do you know if you are addicted to your phone? If a person drank vodka first thing in the morning, secretly in the toilet, were anxious if they weren’t near a bottle and had a swig last thing at night in bed, you would say they were addicted. Replace vodka bottle with mobile phone and that is the reality for many teenagers.

Phones have become an essential part of our lives although some people use them to excess. Recent research shows that:

• 22% of adults and 47% of teenagers use their phone whilst on the toilet
• 81% of people never turn their phone off (even when in bed)

Although mobile phones can be used as a great tool to se to help people connect with each other and learn from, they can also hinder your performance. For example:

• A fascinating study found that students who perform a task just in sight of their phone (regardless of if they are using it) do about 20% worse as it still distracts them.

• Phone use every day for longer than 20 minutes at a time has been found to lead to poor sleep quality and duration.

• Being on your phone within an hour before bed means that you are almost three times as likely to get less than five hours sleep. You can read more about this in our blog, ‘Your Phone at Night’.

• Research has found that students who are on their phone more in class get worse grades, regardless of gender or previous grade average.  You can read more about this in our blog, ‘9 Easy Ways to get Better Grades’.

Final Thought

As with all technology, it is not what it is but how it is used that ultimately defines if it will help or hinder someone. Teaching students the impact of being on their phone so much and being reliant on it will help educate them, allowing them to make more informed decisions about how to use it better and put an end to their mobile phone addiction.

If you're worried about mobile phone addiction, either with regards to yourself, your students or your children then check out this guide.