<center> https://static01.nyt.com/images/2015/07/07/science/07BRODY/07BRODY-facebookJumbo.jpg</center>
## Children today are estimated to be spending anywhere between 2-7 hours every day on their screen time.
<center> </center> Millions of young children today have their own tablets and smartphones. Over the years, as this technology has become more abundant and cheaper, a growing number of children have not only been afforded access to obtain their own tablet or smartphone, but the usage time spent on them has also been increasing. 

## Children younger than 8 years old are estimated to be spending at least 2 hours or more every day staring at their screen. 
<center> </center> Since 2011, mobile device use has exploded and it's fueled a concern for parents and healthcare professionals who worry about what the consequences might be from the trend, if any. 

<center> http://a.scpr.org/i/7cba38c3f694ebd549507ae2d5fd3710/89832-full.jpg</center>

Previous studies have repeatedly suggested that there could be some concerns to keep in mind when it comes to children and their media obsession. 

Researchers suggest that an unhealthy cellphone addiction could fuel chemical imbalances in the brain for children, that it could possibly fuel addiction, depression, anxiety, negatively impact productivity and sleep, and much more. 

## There are now children <b>as young as 13</b> who are entering <b>smartphone rehab</b> to try and seek help in addressing their screen addiction. 

<center> </center> Researchers at the Children's Hospital of Michigan have been investigating the effects of cellphones and tablets on the adolescent mind and have suggested that these devices can act as a heroin addiction for children. 

The compare it to a heroin addiction because they say the games and activities that the child plays on the device will in-return <b>cause a release of neurotransmitters</b>, making them feel good. In order to continue feeling like this, they'll keep going back multiple times in order to pursue the activity and end-result. 

## The brain activity suffers and executive functioning is impeded.

<center> </center> MRI images from their research on the subject, have indicated that the brain of a child who is hooked on their phone, closely resembles that of someone who is addicted to drugs. 

<center>https://www.kars4kids.org/blog/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/miserable-people-looking-at-phones-on-a-bus-cartoon.jpg </center> 


<center> </center> Some studies have previously found that your <b>cognitive capacity</b> might be significantly reduced simply because your smartphone is <b>within reach</b> of where you are. 

Other studies have found that there are increased risks of depression and suicide that go along with spending more time online.

<center> </center> More recently, a study from San Diego State University found that for teens who spent more time on social media, texting, gaming, or video-chatting, that they weren't as happy as those who had spent more time off their phones.

The study looked at data that involved over 1 million teens from around the US. The results indicated that for the teens who spend more time texting and looking at their phone, that they aren't likely to be as happy as those kids who spent time outside, interacting with people in person, or enjoying time playing sports. 

<center> https://listverse.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/6b-swedish-zombie-smartphone-user-signs.jpg</center> 

At the end of the day, the responsibility rests with the individual and their parents to be sure that they are regulating their behavior effectively. The individual needs to decide for themselves what works best for them and no doubt that for many they see their happiness increase when they take the effort to limit their digital media use. Though, certainly that isn't the case for everyone. 

The results from the study out of San Diego indicate that for the teens who reported being the happiest, they allegedly spent *less than an hour every day online*. 

Researchers have suggested a variety of tips for those who want to try and gain more control over their phone habit. Some of those suggestions are things like <b>decreasing nighttime use, turning off notifications, paying attention to data usage, or planning a specific tech break</b>.

Pics:
Paul Rogers via NYTimes
via scpr.org
via kars4kids.org
via listverse.com

Sources:
https://www.cnn.com/2017/10/19/health/children-smartphone-tablet-use-report/index.html
https://techcrunch.com/2018/01/23/phone-addicted-teens-arent-as-happy-as-those-who-play-sports-and-hang-out-irl-new-study-suggests/
https://www.cnn.com/2015/11/03/health/teens-tweens-media-screen-use-report/index.html
http://time.com/4989275/young-children-tablets-mobile-devices/
https://techcrunch.com/2018/01/30/child-health-advocates-call-for-facebook-to-shutter-messenger-kids-app/
https://www.cnn.com/2017/11/30/health/smartphone-addiction-study/index.html
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/education/education-news/child-smart-phones-cocaine-addiction-expert-mandy-saligari-harley-street-charter-clinic-technology-a7777941.html
https://www.nbc26.com/news/national/stunning-results-after-researchers-look-at-effects-of-cell-phones-on-kids-national
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/health/teenage-technology-addiction-smartphone-rehab-seattle-clinic-children-aged-13-mobile-devices-a7684356.html
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/06/170623133039.htm
https://mashable.com/2018/01/24/best-instant-pot-to-buy-recipes-deals-amazon/#vftVoK8czmqd
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2018/jan/27/mobile-phone-addiction-apps-break-the-habit-take-back-control
https://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/07/06/screen-addiction-is-taking-a-toll-on-children/?mtrref=www.google.ca&gwh=BF67A096DB27A0B2D61949FEE74CC3A2&gwt=pay
https://neiuindependent.org/9564/opinions/are-we-addicted-big-time-investors-say-yes/

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