The ability to find out how much time you spend staring at your phone each day is tucked away in the settings of a lot of devices.
The realization that what was once intended to be a helpful piece of technology has turned into an obsession might be unsettling.
“I felt like I couldn’t get off it because social media is built around FOMO (fear of missing out),” Canadian 16-year-old Luke Martin told the news.
“I got Instagram right away, and it was a downward spiral.”
Luke is not alone himself.
A Harvard University study found that utilizing social networking sites activates the same area of the brain as is activated when using addictive substances. This has sparked worries about young people’s phone usage habits.
According to research, over 25% of youngsters in the UK between the ages of five and seven currently own a smartphone.
Several studies have found a connection between social media use and poor mental health, particularly in young people.
Some advocates favor imposing age restrictions on smartphone use. Some, like Luke, are opting to replace their smartphones with much more basic gadgets, sometimes referred to as “dumbphones.”
