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Teens & Their Smartphones – How to Keep Them Safe?

by Patrick Bailey

The rise of smartphones is one of the greatest breakthroughs of our time. People have gone from the ordinary calling and texting device to a wholly new level of having the world at the palm of their hand. Operative systems in these smartphones have allowed users to run multiple apps at once, access the Internet, download diverse software and ultimately use this piece of hardware as a comprehensive tool for everyday life.

Children, more specifically teens, are one of the most affected user groups, with two-thirds of parents openly showing concern about their teen’s screen time. An even more alarming statistic provided by Ana at SafeatLast is the risk of depression among teens jumping up to 27% when using social media. And with the all-too-convenient way of accessing such platforms via their mobile devices, parents are all the more alarmed.

In order to find a way to keep teens safe when using smartphones, parents use different techniques, some more restrictive than others. It has been estimated that 57% of parents tend to limit children’s time spent with their cellphones. The need for a more permanent solution has been even greater since a survey on teenagers showed that they often link the absence of their phone with specific emotions, such as loneliness and anxiety.

A complete overview of these statistics is available below, along with other alarming statistics regarding teens’ use of smartphones and online conduct in general.

Due to these and similar discoveries, parents are constantly looking for ways to resolve the matter. The latest results show that up to 34% of parents tend to check the web history of their children without their knowledge, while 25% of them access their social media profiles. Nevertheless, these are only momentary solutions, and would not handle the issue altogether.

Experts suggest employing more long-term solutions, such as building a trusting and honest relationship, prompting the practice of sharing experiences, commenting specific topics and keeping up with current events, launches and updates in order to best handle the matter.

 

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