7 Ways Smartphones Are Hurting Kids — I.N.F.O. For Families

3. Kids Are Dealing with Lots of Mean People.

Bullying via technology is a relatively new phenomenon. In a 2018 study, almost 60% of teens reported some form of online bullying, including name-calling (42%), people spreading false rumors about them (32%), or others sending them explicit messages (25%). Unfortunately, 90% of kids who are bullied online never tell their parents about it.

But don’t worry about your kids. Surely your kids would be among the tiny one out of ten who would come tell you when they are being mistreated online.

4. Many Kids Are Sexting.

Don’t even get me started on sexting. One third of teenagers have sexted, having sent (or received) inappropriate images. And nearly 40% of all teenagers have posted or sent sexually suggestive messages.

But your kids would never do that. They know better.

5. Most Kids Are Looking at Porn.

And what about pornography, given that smartphones are the primary delivery system for porn today? Chap Clark of the Fuller Youth Institute says that 60% of teen boys are addicted to porn, and the number of girls viewing porn is rapidly increasing. When surveyed, the vast majority of teenagers say that 1) they have seen porn, 2) they find it on “normal” apps like Snapchat, TikTok, Instagram, Twitter, What’s App, and even Pinterest, and 3) they know it is negatively impacting how they see their bodies and their sexuality.

But your kids probably don’t look at porn. (Even though one study in the U.K. said that while 75% of parents did not believe their children would have watched pornography, the majority of these parents’ children told the researchers that they had viewed adult material.) But that’s Britain. American kids are different. At least yours are.

6. A Shocking Number of Kids Are Interacting With Strangers.

Predators are a concern on smartphones. Social media and online gaming connects our kids with the entire world. In a recent study, 40% of kids in grades 4-8 reported they connected or chatted online with a stranger. The numbers are even worse for older teens.

But not your kids. They are smarter than that.

7. Most Kids Are Hiding Their Online Activities From Their Parents.

As an awesome parent, you have talked to your kids about appropriate smartphone use. (Apparently, nine out of ten teenagers say that their parents have had that conversation with them. Yay! We’re doing something right.)

However, nearly half of teens say that their parents do nothing to monitor what they do online. Additionally, 70% of teens admit to regularly taking steps to hide their online behavior from parents.

But your kids would never do that.

Your kids face every online temptation with absolute integrity. They interact online with maturity beyond their years. They are ever mindful of the negative impact that too much smartphone use is having on their sleep, their brain, and their social development.

Your kids are exceptional and, therefore, exempt from all these problems that plague other teenagers who use their phones carelessly. Even if your kids have less than ideal screen habits and spend too much time on their phones, bad things won’t happen to them, because, you know…..your kids are special. And the tooth fairy is real.

Never mind the fact that you have given your child a device that gives them unlimited access to every aspect of the big bad world that you been trying to protect them from for their entire lives.

As digital natives, surely your kids are mindful of all these issues of concern. After all, the typical 14 year old kid knows everything they need to know about tech addiction and porn addiction and social media addiction. Because teenagers are universally known for their wisdom and sound judgment. Right?

So don’t have conversations with your kids about these things. Don’t monitor their online activities or put limits on what they do on their phones. They’re smart. They will figure it out.

The bottom line is that you shouldn’t worry. A lot of teenagers will struggle with this stuff, but your kids are going to be just fine.

There’s Help For Parents Who Want to Help Their Kids.

If, for some strange reason, you might be concerned that your kids aren’t fine and feel that your family needs some help talking about smartphones, there is a solution.

Smartphones 101 is an incredibly helpful online video-based course designed to help parents and kids have meaningful conversations about the impact of phones on our lives. It’s interactive, easy-to-use, and costs about the same as one month of your teenager’s cell phone bill. Watch the video or click below for more information.