70 percent of teenagers tried to reduce their time spent on smartphones: Survey

While the sales of the smartphone industry may be thriving, nearly 70 percent of teenagers have attempted to reduce the time they spend on their smartphone, finds a survey. The survey, conducted by Screen Education — a US-based non-profit, showed that 65 percent teenagers wish that they were better able to self-limit the time they spend on their smartphone. [caption id=“attachment_4573971” align=“alignnone” width=“1280”] A young boy plays with a smartphone. Image: Reuters.[/caption] While 26 percent wish someone would limit the time they spend on their smartphone for them as they are unable to do so themselves, 37 percent have tried to persuade a friend to reduce the time they spend on their smartphone. Further, 35 percent of the teenagers rued that they are unable to do things they ought to because of spending increasing time on their phones, while 41 percent blamed phones for getting low grades at school. “It’s time for bold action to address teen smartphone addiction. These kids know their phones are compromising so many aspects of their lives, and they want help,” said Michael Mercier, President of Screen Education. “We can find ways to impose reasonable limits on their screen time and cultivate within them the ability to self-limit their screen time. This will require that we transform our cultural norms regarding screen time, which we most certainly can do,” he added. The 46-question survey involved 1,017 teenagers from grades 7-12. The survey also revealed that 36 percent teenagers witness online bullying every week, while over 30 percent have seen online bullying result in physical violence.