1/3 of teenagers are affected by mobile phone addiction to study! There are three major manifestations that you should be careful of

Interviewed expert: Chen Zhiyan, professor of the Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences and head of the National Mental Health Assessment and Development Center

Global Times health client reporter Niu Yulei

Recently, the team of Xia Zhuzhi, associate professor of the School of Sociology of Wuhan University, released the "Investigation and Countermeasures of Mobile Phone Addiction of Rural Left-behind Children", showing that 40% of left-behind children have exclusive mobile phones, and half use the mobile phones of their elders; 67.3% of parents believe that their children have a trend of mobile phone addiction, and 21.3% of parents believe that their children are seriously addicted to mobile phones. The survey data recently released by the National Mental Health Assessment and Development Center of the Institute of Psychology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences also showed that 33.4% of adolescents agreed to "I can't bear not having a mobile phone" to varying degrees, and may have developed psychological dependence on mobile phones, and more than 1/3 of adolescents have affected their study and life due to the use of mobile phones.

Children are more likely to be addicted to mobile phones

The "Global Times Health Client" reporter also found a similar situation in the interview. Ms. Li from Shanxi has two children, the eldest son is 11 years old and the youngest daughter is not yet 5 years old. "My youngest daughter is easier to manage, and when I spend a lot of time playing with my phone, I use other toys to divert her attention. But there is really no way for the eldest son, he plays electronic products more 'slippery' than adults. "Ms. Li said that her son's online classes have to be conducted on a computer or tablet, and he needs to operate it himself, and parents cannot supervise him 24 hours a day, even so, he can be caught secretly playing games three days a week." The Internet mantra "comes with an open mouth, and sometimes Ms. Li can't understand what Hou's son says." Her eldest son told reporters: "Everyone in the school uses short videos, they all use Internet language, I don't play or talk, I don't have a common topic with everyone." ”

"There are some reasons why minors may be susceptible to mobile phone addiction." Chen Zhiyan, a professor at the Institute of Psychology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and head of the National Mental Health Assessment and Development Center, said that on the one hand, short videos and games are cheap and accessible ways of entertainment, and when there is not enough freedom, time or money to entertain in life, you may resort to short videos. Compared with adults, minors do not have sufficient economic autonomy and independent mobility, and are more likely to indulge. On the other hand, many leisure and entertainment are premised on skills and need to "pay" energy, such as playing basketball first have to "play", but also consume physical strength, but brushing short videos does not need, only pay "time".

Obsessing over your phone isn't just about delaying learning

Excessive use of mobile phones can have many negative effects on children.

Fragmented information affects the development of correct learning patterns. Chen Zhiyan said that to master the knowledge of a discipline, you first need to know the basic framework and basic principles of the discipline in order to better understand and apply it. The fragmented information in short videos will break this learning structure and instill curious terms and theories, which is not conducive to children's correct understanding.

Over-reliance on vision stifles imagination and upsets sensory balance. Many times, imagination relies on subjectivity, and the provider needs to provide enough "white space" when designing content to give the audience the opportunity to "make up their brains". "The content of the video is fixed, the dynamic picture and sound can convey a lot of information, and without white space, it hinders the child's imagination." Chen Zhiyan said. Sensory balance means multi-sensory use, such as feeling the strength of muscles while running, the temperature of the surrounding environment, the oncoming wind, the obstacles ahead..." These are especially helpful for children's brain development, and excessive use of mobile phones can disrupt this development. ”

Personalized algorithms trap children in the "instant gratification trap." Current short video platforms are equipped with personalized algorithms, which are a shackle for children who are developing and need to receive wider information and the wider world. Short video is an "instant gratification" entertainment tool that directly brings stimulation and enjoyment to children. Chen Zhiyan said that if they have easy access to all kinds of information, they will lose the ability to delay gratification.

Three manifestations predict addiction

Regarding whether children have mobile phone addiction, Chen Zhiyan believes that parents can make preliminary judgments from the following aspects.

The length of time is increasing. The child may have played for only half an hour at a time, but gradually increased to an hour, two hours, or even all night, and he couldn't control it.

Interfere with normal life. "Playing games" and "brushing short videos" are all behaviors, as long as they are controlled within a reasonable range, they are normal, and may even help improve cognition and regulate mood. But if the child does not go to school because of playing with the mobile phone, cannot complete homework, and will have insomnia and anxiety, it is abnormal and sick.

Generate misconduct. Such as "lying" and "concealing" - originally played but said not played, or originally played for 4 hours but only said that played for 1 hour, and thus produced a "sense of shame", feeling unable to face parents and teachers, are all signs of addiction.

Boot correctly, strictly restrict

"At a time when children need to learn and write homework through the Internet, the following measures can be taken to prevent children from becoming addicted." Chen Zhiyan said.

Schools take responsibility. "A lot of the use of the web is 'non-essential.'" Ms. Chen said that some schools will carry out special management for students addicted to mobile phones, telling parents that "your child does not need mobile phones" and "all homework does not need to use the Internet."

Parents should guide correctly. Mobile phones are a good life tool, parents need to guide children to see more of the "tool" attributes of mobile phones, such as information retrieval, enhance communication between family members, rather than games, entertainment and other "toy" functions.

Limit usage time. Parents have the right to control the time their children spend using electronic devices, so that children can have more time to sleep, do interesting activities, and socialize with peers. "You must make an appointment with your child in advance to use it, and if it exceeds it, there must be a deal with it." Chen Zhiyan said.

You do not need to register any account for your child as an adult. At present, the network management in mainland China is relatively strict, and many programs are divided into adult version, children's version, children's version and youth anti-addiction mode, and there are special regulations in terms of access content and time, which can help parents manage their children. ▲

Responsible editor: Zhao Ziying

Editor-in-chief: Xu Wenting