10 signs your child is addicted to their phone

Children are more and more connected. Screens, social networks or even online games, it is important to monitor the frequency of use of these tools by the youngest. Here are 10 signs your kids are addicted to their phones.

Tiktok, Youtube, Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter, Twitch … Children often have a lot of apps on their phone, tablet and / or computer. Because yes, once they start to grow, board games gradually gather dust.

Positive effects in learning

There is no denying that screens are an integral part of our children's lives. This proliferation of digital tools can be frightening, however, if properly supervised, it can be beneficial as indicated by the Haute Autorité de Santé (HAS). “In children with or without cognitive development disorders (or delays), the supervised use of digital technology has had positive effects on learning”. In addition, positive effects have been observed in children with autistic disorders.

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But … tools to be used with caution

The numbers are impressive: According to Media, children get their first phone at the age of 9 years and nine months on average. But that's not all, 35% of children have their own video game console, 28% have their own tablet and finally, 11% of children have a television in their room (which is completely discouraged by all subject matter experts).

Several English studies warn and call for caution in the use of these digital tools. According to British researchers from the Department of Epidemiology and Public Health at University College London, smartphone addiction promotes obesity. In addition, researchers from King’s College London have shown that 23% of young people and children have “Problematic smartphone use” and “that between 10 and 30% of children and young people use their phones in a dysfunctional manner”.

Here are the 10 signs that your child is addicted to screens:

He takes his phone to the table

Even when it’s time to eat, your child cannot get away from their phone. He would even be ready not to eat to stay a few more hours in front of his screen.

Tips: To take a real break, set up a schedule with your child. When it's time to eat, no phone. It works equally well for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

He can't live without a screen

A life without a screen? Hell no. Tiktok, Twitter, Youtube, Facebook, Twitch, the youngest are often hyperconnected to these applications to the point of not leaving their room.

Tip: It is important to be vigilant about your children's screen time. Indeed, according to an Ipsos survey (Junior's connect), 13-19 year olds spend an average of 15:11 a week on the Internet. The youngest are also affected since the 7-12 year olds spend an average of 6:10 hours on the Web per week and the 1-6 year olds 4:37.

Forgetting a simple charger turns into the end of the world

Going for a weekend with friends forgetting your charger? It is clearly the life of the world for your child.

Tip: teach them to put things into perspective and help them detach themselves from screens. Instead, suggest doing an activity in pairs or alone: ​​artistic or athletic, your child will be stimulated for a few hours.

He's addicted to selfies

To achieve the perfect selfie, you have to try and redo. Result, after 30 minutes, the result is still not suitable.

Tip: If he really cares about his selfie, you can help him. The perfect selfie sometimes lies in the details: good light, a clean lens or even a suitable position. Finally, let her know that a failed selfie happens even to the best!

He wakes up at night to check that he hasn't received a notification

It’s hard to get into Morpheus’s arms when the phone calls the lighthouse. Even if he finds it hard to believe it, the President isn't going to call him, and Prince or Princess Charming isn't going to show up in the middle of the night, because they are asleep!

Tip: To be sure not to succumb to temptation, he can use the “do not disturb” mode to spend more than peaceful nights. You can also create a fun box that your child will put their phone in each night before going to bed, and that is left outside their bedroom to avoid temptation.

He spends hours and hours on the toilet bowl with his “best friend”

Comfortably seated in the bathroom with your phone, okay. But why waste an entire afternoon? Ah children, a real mystery.

Tip: Rather than brainstorming your child, let them know that they can learn to manage their time better. All this wasted time could have been used to watch a film / documentary or to see friends.

His first instinct is to look for wifi

“But I am not picking up anything”, “Where are my bars” or “what is the password”, these are phrases that you commonly hear in your child's mouth when you find yourself in a hostile environment, that is, without wifi.

Tip: Tell her to put her phone aside for a few hours, away from her eyes but close to her heart.

It's the first thing he looks at in the morning

8:00 am, the alarm goes off, your child is grumpy. First instinct, unlock your phone to see if it still works. Second habit, scroll your feed for ten minutes and finally get out of bed.

Tip: Sleep is clearly not a luxury. He will still be able to scroll on the way to school, plus he can get a few extra minutes of sleep in the morning.

He uses his smartphone to talk to someone next to him

Granted, it's easier to "text" than to talk face to face.

Tip: Try to communicate as much as possible orally with your child as soon as you can. And then it’s so much better to hear someone laugh at your joke than to see simple smileys.