Adults and teens concerned about their screen time are turning in their smartphones for “dumber” models.
Buried in the settings of many smartphones is the option to look up how much on average you are staring at your phone per day.
It can bring an uncomfortable realisation, that what was supposed to be a useful piece of technology has become an obsession.
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According to a study by Harvard University, using social networking sites lights up the same part of the brain that is also triggered when taking an addictive substance. This has raised concerns about phone habits among youth.
In the UK, research by Ofcom estimates that around a quarter of children aged five to seven years old now have their own smartphone.
Links have been shown in some studies between use of social media and a negative effect on mental health - especially in children.
Not counting my last job, which issued everyone iPhones (because of a proprietary app necessary to do the job), I’ve never owned a smartphone – and likely never will. For me goes way beyond any ‘addiction’ issues, into technical issues about the nature of the OS the manufacturers install on them, and how the telecom companies manage them. Also the ongoing cost to operate, which again is an issue with the telecom companies. If these devices had been more ‘open’ to start with I might have one, but they’re not, and without getting into the list of reasons why, it’s all just a deal-breaker and a headache I can do without.
Also as others are saying: I have two $40 clamshell phones, and while they run Android, they have no internet connectivity at all, just basic phone service and texting – and service costs me all of $40 a month for both.