We are elated to note the findings in a new report from the Pew Research Center indicating that “nearly three-quarters of U.S. teens say they feel happy or peaceful when they don’t have their phones with them,” as reported in a story by the Associated Press that appeared in the March 13 edition of the Asheville Citizen Times.

“In a survey published Monday (March 11), Pew also found that, despite the positive associations with going phone-free, most teens have not limited their phone or social media use,” the story stated.

“The survey comes as policymakers and children’s advocates are growing increasingly concerned with teen’s relationships with their phones and social media. Last fall, dozens of states, including California and New York, sued Instagram and Facebook owner Meta Platforms Inc. for harming young people and contributing to the youth mental health crisis by knowingly and deliberately designing features that addict children.

“In January, the CEOs of Meta, TikTok, X and other social media companies went before the Senate Judiciary Committee to testify about their platforms’ harms to young people.”

Regarding the survey’s findings, “despite increasing concerns, most teens say smartphones make it easier to be creative and pursue hobbies,” while 45 percent say a smartphone helps them do well in school. 

Tragically, in our view, the survey found that “most teens said the benefits of having a smartphone outweigh the harms for people their age. Nearly all U.S. teens have access to a smartphone, according to Pew.”

The poll was conducted from Sept. 26 to Oct. 23, 2023, among a sample of 1,453 pairs of teens with one parent — and has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.2 percentage points.

Meanwhile, when researching the warning signs and treatment for phone addiction, we came across the “negative effects,” including (to name just a few) sleep deficit, lower concentration, creativity blocks, aggravated Attention Deficit Disorder, anxiety and reduced cognition.

Overuse of smartphones, which are designed to be addictive, results in harms that are insidious and even infiltrate mental health. Ultimately, we urge those addicted to smartphones to either stop it  – or seek help to break free.