DO YOU HAVE A CRAZY APP? –
March 7, 2023 – Smartphones are in pockets, purses and, for some people, under their pillows at night. Most Americans have a smartphone. About 95 percent of teenagers and people under 50 say they have one.
For many people, smartphones are a convenience. But for phone addicts, they can feel like an obsession. There are apps to look at, games to play and websites to browse. One in five U.S. teens, for example, say they use YouTube “almost constantly,” and more than half say it would be difficult to stop using social media. Researchers are studying smartphone usage to determine when a person is addicted and how it can damage their mental health. Scientists don’t agree on how to define smartphone addiction or whether it qualifies as an addiction. But they can agree on one thing — overuse is detrimental to a person’s mental health. Scientists don’t currently agree whether there is enough evidence to support the existence of smartphone addiction.
