Cellphone Addiction Is Real

"Rates of both diagnosis and medication have quadrupled since then, but the irony has been consistent: Parents do everything they can to keep their kids away from drugs and safeguarded against addiction-except when it comes to 1) ADHD meds, which are so abundant that the surplus is shared with the non-diagnosed as party drugs, and 2) smartphones, introduced to at least half of American children before age 11."

"Parents need to reconsider smartphone introduction. Dear Parents: Cell phone addiction is real, and it's a constant obstacle for teachers, who are trying to do their jobs. This year, in my college freshman writing class, I've instituted a basket for cellphone safekeeping during class---easily accessible in the event of an emergency, they're otherwise out of sight and, hopefully, out of mind."

Classroom environments improve noticeably when cellphones are banned during instructional time. Schools are only recently beginning to ban phones during the day. Parents are urged to delay introducing smartphones to children to reduce addiction risks. ADHD diagnosis and medication rates have increased dramatically since the 1980s. Surplus ADHD medication is sometimes diverted as recreational drugs. Smartphones now reach roughly half of American children before age eleven. Cellphone presence in class poses a persistent obstacle to teaching. Some classrooms use a central cellphone basket accessible for emergencies but kept out of sight and mind.

Read at Psychology Today