Cell Phone Addiction Is Real

Ever panic when you can’t find your phone? I do.

Ever had that lost feeling when you’ve left your phone at home or at work? I have.

Ever had to consciously tell yourself to put the phone down long enough to concentrate on driving? I have.

And yet, as bad as these behaviors are, they still pale in comparison to actual cell phone addiction, which according to one recent study from China found in this article from DrugRehabTreatment.com, “nearly one-third of high school students show[] signs of [cell phone] addiction.”

So What Is Cell Phone Addiction?

According to the above article:

The symptoms of cell phone addiction are similar to the symptoms of other types of addictions, and may include the following:

• Feeling restless or uncomfortable when not using a cell phone;
• Having irrational reactions to being without a phone if it is lost or forgotten;
• Substantial increases in the amount of time spent talking on a cell phone;
• Mounting cell phone bills that cause financial distress;
• Problems at school and work from constant cell phone use;
• Interpersonal problems from constant cell phone use; or
• Taking unnecessary risks such as using a cell phone during inappropriate times (driving, etc.).

How To Tell If You’re Teen Has Cell Phone Addiction

Aside from knowing and looking out for the warning signs of cell phone addiction referenced above, that same article listed several good suggestions to counteract cell phone addition. We’ve modified a few of them to apply to your teens. These include:

• Setting specific times during the day when your teen can use their cell phone,
• Make time for activities and hobbies that aren’t conducive to being on the phone, such as sports, watching a movie in a theater, or spending time with friends.
• Foster healthy relationships with your teens that are strong enough to last a few hours or days without constant contact.

There’s one last thing to keep in mind. Your teens watch what you do, and they often imitate your behavior. Focusing on healthy cell phone behavior yourself can also go a long way to shaping your teen’s focus on their cell phone use.

What behaviors have you seen from your teen that might be cell phone addiction? What are you doing that could be leading that way? Let us know!

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COMING SOON – SPECIAL REPORT ON

TEEN CELL PHONE SAFETY

TeenCellSafety.org is about to launch its free Special Report on Teen Cell Phone Safety. Check back soon for details!

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Sexting Defined

One of the hardest parts of growing up is understanding that our actions early on can drastically affect our lives later. No single greater example exists today than teen “sexting.”

According to BillNance.org found at this link, the definition of “sexting” is “the practice of teens taking nude or sexually suggestive photos of themselves and sending them to people via their cell phone,”  While this definition is accurate, “sexting” also includes suggestive text messages, and that it isn’t just limited to teens.

The question is what to do about sexting? How do we help teenagers understand the risks and later repercussions of sexting?

Should we just lock up our teens to protect them from themselves? Clearly not. Should we simply take away their cell phone privileges altogether? Sometimes this is necessary, but it’s not a good long-term solution because they will eventually get a cell phone, whether now or in later years.  So, again, what is the best solution?

While there are no clear cut answers to this dilemma, we believe that what teens do with their cell phones, for good or bad, comes down to a decision. The best way to help teens make good decisions is to teach them about their phones, to discuss these issues, and to do both of those early and often.

Obviously, that’s easier said than done, but without guidance from their parents, teens will still make decisions. However, those decisions will often be based on speculation and conjecture and from sources, like their peers, who may not understand these issues any better than your teens.

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COMING SOON – SPECIAL REPORT ON

TEEN CELL PHONE SAFETY

TeenCellSafety.org is about to launch its free Special Report on Teen Cell Phone Safety. Check back soon for details!

Don’t Rely on Laws To Protect Your Teens

A recent article on MobileTechlaw.com shows the difficulty in enforcing teen cell phone laws. Click here for the link.

The article shows how the Utah state legislature recently ended discussion on banning teen cell phone use while driving. The reason that the bill died was that the legislators couldn’t decide on the appropriate penalty for a teen caught disregarding the ban.

This is a great example of how hard it is to enforce these cell phone bans, both for legislators making the laws and for enforcement officials enforcing the laws.

As we’ve mentioned on this site before, by the time that law enforcement has to step in, it could already be too late for your teen. That’s the reason that education and instruction are great tools to help your teen become safe with their cell phones.

No parent can keep their child completely and totally safe from all harm; it’s just not possible. That includes what teens do with cars, cell phones, and a combination of both. What you can do, though, is to help them understand the dangers of using cell phones and set up safeguards early on to help them know from Day 1 what to do and what not to do with their phones.

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COMING SOON – SPECIAL REPORT ON

TEEN CELL PHONE SAFETY

TeenCellSafety.org is about to launch its free Special Report on Teen Cell Phone Safety. Check back soon for details!

The Ten Commandments of Cell Phone Use For Teenagers

It makes sense to have clear and concise instructions when it comes to cell phone use, especially when dealing with teens. In that regard, we’ve developed the following Ten Commandments of Cell Phone Use. You might consider posting these at home so that everyone is on the same page about what to do and what not to do when using cell phones.

I. Do not talk or text while driving.

II. Do not take, send, receive, or keep pornographic or lewd images, pictures, videos, or messages on your phone.

III. Do not use your phone to cheat on tests, homework or other work.

IV. Do not exceed the minutes or number of text messages allowed on your phone.

V. Keep your phone with you, charged, and on at all times, except during class or when otherwise prohibited in school.

VI. Do not let your phone become a distraction or irritation to others.

VII. Never use your phone for hurtful, disparaging, degrading or illegal purposes.

VIII. Remember that all information on your phone is public and could be posted on the Internet, TV, or any other form of permanent record.

IX. Do not give your friends unsupervised access to your cell phone.

X. Never trust strangers with your cell phone or cell phone number.

Have other “commandments” that didn’t make the list? Please share them with us!

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COMING SOON – SPECIAL REPORT ON

TEEN CELL PHONE SAFETY

TeenCellSafety.org is about to launch its free Special Report on Teen Cell Phone Safety. Check back soon for details!

Deadly Peril: Taking Your Teen’s Cell Phone Away

The next time you consider taking your teen’s cell phone away as punishment, consider the heartbreaking story of the Michigan family whose teen killed his parents when they tried to take his cell phone away. See this link for some of the details.

With this in mind, parents should consider how closely their teens value their cell phones before they even give them one and set ground rules before starting down the path of cell phone freedom.

For other parents, your teen may acquire their cell phone without your consent or without parental supervision. This becomes an even bigger problem. As always, we counsel guidance as the prime tool in dealing with teens, but that’s not always an acceptable or realistic solution.

Therefore, we welcome any feedback from you. What’s worked for you? What has not? Please tell us, and we’ll post the results in later postings.

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COMING SOON – SPECIAL REPORT ON

TEEN CELL PHONE SAFETY

TeenCellSafety.org is about to launch its free Special Report on Teen Cell Phone Safety. Check back soon for details!