Ofcom have been crunching those stats again, this time in regards to the debilitating addiction facing our youth. It’s not drugs, or alcohol – They claim smartphones are the unseen risk for kids these days.
You’d have difficulty finding a young person who doesn’t own a mobile phone, and most will be packing an Android smartphone or iPhone no less. The tech-savvy youth of today can gain a wealth of social networking through the high-tech gadgets in their pockets, and there’s rarely a time when you don’t look around and see a teen with a mobile in hand, completely oblivious of the world around them.
Survey says 60% of teenagers in the UK are (to quote Ofcom) “highly addicted” to their smartphone and that easy access to Facebook and Twitter are main offenders in harming the real-life social interaction skills of our nation’s youngsters. Ofcom even reports that teens are very likely to be Google-ing on their mobiles or engaged in a game of Angry Birds in the most inappropriate of times and places, like in a cinema or on public transport. The stats gathered also reveal how some teens can’t just leave it alone, tweeting on holiday or in the loo. The report goes on to claim that teens are “naturally” drawn to high-tech mobiles and apps.
It’s not just that the kid’s aren’t alright, it’s the adults too – with 37% of us how should have better things to do glued to our mobiles and falling into that “highly addicted” category.
The dropping price of smartphones aimed at teens is suggested as a contributor to a “nation of addicts” with handsets such as the Nokia 500 and Vodafone 555 Blue (with Facebook a “built-in” feature) being introduced in the last few years. Lowering the costs and making a whole world of addictive apps available for a powerful pocket gadget on a pocket money budget.
The old slogan / warning “It’s 10’o clock. Do you know where your children are?” is outdated.
According to Ofcom, Little Jimmy is in more danger from locking himself in his room and zoning out with his Blackberry!
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