Children addicted to smartphones

[ChaiyaTH]

6 hours ago, Pistachio said:

Why do the Thais do that? They’re really so stupid. I feel completely helpless I can show them dozens of articles that say it harms children, yet they still hand them a phone. Thai mothers are not good mothers; they hand their children over to their grandparents so that they can play on the phone by themselves. It’s crazy.

Sounds you just whine and blame while you are not even around daily?

[brewsterbudgen]

11 hours ago, dinsdale said:

It's an addiction and is dumbing down society. Not sure how you link Cohen's book which if I remember correctly (I too studied sociology at uni) was about sub-cultures and societies response to them and how the media reported it. Mobile phone addiction is pervasive globally and is definitely not a sub-culture.  

 

10 hours ago, BangkokReady said:

 

I think he's confused about the reasons for the concern.  Moral panic means that people are getting worried about something like rumours or news reports that aren't even true, rather than what we are talking about here, which is scientific research and our own personal experience.

 

I think he's viewing it as: "This is something that people are getting worried about, which is the same as moral panics, so it must be a moral panic".

 

Fair points. However I do think that the reaction to children using social media and smartphones shows features of a moral panic — especially when the debate is driven more by fear than facts, and when there's too much of a focus on blaming the technology, rather than considering broader social or developmental issues. Ideally it should lead to the chance to have a meaningful, informed conversation about how to help kids use technology safely and wisely.

[Chris Daley]

I was teaching an M3 class.  The class ended and I left the room.  The students left to go to another class.  They flicked off the light on the way out.  There was one boy sitting their alone, his face illuminated by the smart phone.  I put my head around the door and he said ''OH!  Awk laos lor!'' and he started to leave.

 

One member of staff was looking at his phone while walking, he walked straight into a metal roll up door.  Great sound.

[Nick Carter icp]

On 4/12/2025 at 8:14 PM, Pistachio said:

We have two children, aged 6 and 4. My wife lives with them in Thailand and lets them spend several hoursmaybe 5 to 6 a day on the phone. I keep arguing with her that it’s not healthy for the kids, but she keeps giving them the phones, probably just to get some peace and quiet. How is it for you?

 

   Have you tried to keep a kid entertained all day everyday at home , especially when it too hot, wet , polluted to go outside ?

[rough diamond]

30 minutes ago, Nick Carter icp said:

 

   Have you tried to keep a kid entertained all day everyday at home , especially when it too hot, wet , polluted to go outside ?

Talk and play with them!

[richard_smith237]

Obviously there are mixed responses to this.

 

First and foremost - use of devices needs to be well managed by responsible parenting.

 

Phones & iPads are excellent devices for kids when not over used - as an educational tool they are outstanding....  from Maths Apps, Art Apps, educational YouTube videos and of course the games kids love to play.

 

There is no reason for an iPad or an iPhone to be the enemy of child development, quite the opposite in fact - but, poor parenting can make these devices the enemy. 

 

 

My son has loads of devices: 

- iPad - half of which he paid for himself (with gift money) - he keeps in contact with his friends, plays Roblox and minecraft online with friends.

He also uses the iPad for School work (the need their own device for that).

 

- iPhone - This is more for us so we can contact him at school if we are late to pick-him up (its happened once), he also takes this to restaurants, after we've eaten and he's the only child there and we're chatting and drinking etc, its unfair for him to sit there bored, he can use his phone.

 

- Nintendo Switch - We play football on this and other games, good fun together, also on the planes.

 

- VR headset (Meta Quest) - my son uses this at weekends, has great fun playing online games. 

 

 

All of this, the timing is managed by our Son - He's 'warned' he manages his own time, make intelligent choices - if he uses the devices too much, there are consequences and he'll be prevented from using them.

 

He shows academic excellence, he loves school, has many friends, does 2 hours ECA after school every day (sports, crafts, even cooking).

 

He deserves his leisure time.

 

The best part about his devices, particularly an iPad is the amount that he learns - I'm surprised at his knowledge base - he's also understanding about fake-information now, which I consider important as the world is changing to one with a lot of misinformation peddled as fact. 

 

 

As far as social media - he keeps in contact with his class group via the school Teams group.

He also keeps in contact with previous class mates who have moved away via discord.

 

 

Is he addicted to his smart-phone,  of course he is, we all are - but not to the extent it has any controlling influence over him or us as a family unit. 

 

 

 

[Nick Carter icp]

12 minutes ago, rough diamond said:

Talk and play with them!

 

  All day long ?

Maybe some can, But I cannot spend all day talking to anyone, let alone a kid

[jingjai9]

I think many adults are addicted to smartphones as well as kids. This invention has certainly changed human behavior. Many critics of smartphones tell us companies like Apple and Facebook created their product with the intent of keeping users engaged for as long as possible, in other words addiction was a goal. Also, critics opine that the profit motive is the reason social media apps are free - the user is the product because their data is collected and sold. Other critics such as academics and journalists  have testified to legislative investigators that the US government influences social media companies to ban users or minimize the visibility of users who it deems as inflammatory. Also, can anyone explain why user agreements for apps are so long and appear to be written deliberately wordy and confusing?

I have had many of my students over the years tell me at their homes cellphone use is not allowed during meals. However, when I follow that up by asking, "Do your parents use their phones during meals?" More than 50% of the time the answer is yes.

These smartphone devices and the social media they deliver have changed human behavior PERIOD! More for the good or bad ?????????????????????

[WDSmart]

So are most adults I know...

[koolkarl]

Parents should be charged with gross negligence and have their kids put up for adoption.  Parents are simply lazy and use those phones as a babysitter.  Recently I visited a friend whose wife is exactly as I described.  Their adopted son is 6.  When I walked into their condo he was gaming on an iphone and couldn't even say hello to me. A generation messed up beyond belief.

[brewsterbudgen]

Just now, koolkarl said:

Parents should be charged with gross negligence and have their kids put up for adoption.  Parents are simply lazy and use those phones as a babysitter.  Recently I visited a friend whose wife is exactly as I described.  Their adopted son is 6.  When I walked into their condo he was gaming on an iphone and couldn't even say hello to me. A generation messed up beyond belief.

 

Same was said for previous generations.  They'll be fine (most of them, anyway!)

[richard_smith237]

2 minutes ago, brewsterbudgen said:

4 minutes ago, koolkarl said:

Parents should be charged with gross negligence and have their kids put up for adoption.  Parents are simply lazy and use those phones as a babysitter.  Recently I visited a friend whose wife is exactly as I described.  Their adopted son is 6.  When I walked into their condo he was gaming on an iphone and couldn't even say hello to me. A generation messed up beyond belief.

 

Same was said for previous generations.  They'll be fine (most of them, anyway!)

 

& we can see how 'some' of the previous generations were messed up with their daft 'boomer' generalisations....

 

 

[ibjoe]

There is a good book about this: https://www.anxiousgeneration.com/book . My adopted Thai child is addicted to her devices. We have strict rules about when she can use them, but she still gets in many hours a day. Some of it is good fun on games and other apps with other children, but I worry about predators. We periodically review Social Media Safety rules.

[ibjoe]

https://www.anxiousgeneration.com/book