"They can use cell phones, but they can't eat with cutlery": Excessive media consumption by toddlers

"They can use cell phones, but they can't eat with cutlery"

Pediatrician Arnika Thiede at the Brothers of Mercy in Linz deals with behaviorally disturbed toddlers almost daily. The reason: excessive media consumption

https://www.diagnose-funk.org/

"They can use cell phones, but they can't eat with cutlery"
Image: colorbox, Barmherzige Brüder Linz,
Öberösterreichische Nachricht

LINZ, January 11, 2025. Sleep disorders, obesity, behavioral disorders, and language deficits: Too much media time has serious consequences, even for young children. Pediatrician Arnika Thiede* speaks in an OÖN interview with editor Daniel Gruber about this dramatic development and attempts to counteract it.

Many one to two-year-olds already spend up to two hours a day in front of their cell phone, tablet or TV

OÖNachrichten: Experts warn of the consequences of excessive media use among children. School social worker Christian Hofer recently said in an OÖN interview that cases of media addiction are going through the roof. Do you share this view?

Web giants 'cashing in' on misery of children, says NHS boss, amid surge in treatment for gaming addiction

Web giants 'cashing in' on misery of children, says NHS boss, amid surge in treatment for gaming addiction
by Laura Donnelly, health editor, telegraph.co.uk, 8 October 2019

Psychiatric staff will treat young patients with severe
and complex addiction. Credit: Peter Byrne/PA

The head of the health service has accused internet firms of "cashing in" on addiction, as he announced NHS plans to treat children with disorders caused by gaming and social media.

Simon Stevens said the service had been left "picking up the pieces" of young lives wrecked by obsessions fuelled by technology, as he attacked giants for failing to behave responsibly.

Health chiefs highlighted other countries who have banned under 16s from online gaming after midnight, as they announced plans for the first centre to treat children with such addictions.

Italian Government Unveils Plan to Tackle Smartphone Addiction

Italian government unveils plan to tackle smartphone addiction
AFP/The Local, 22 July 2019

Italian government ministers have drafted a law aimed at preventing and treating the rising phenomenon of addiction to mobile phones and the internet, particularly among young people.

Photo: DepositPhotos

The bill seeks to treat the fear of not having access to a mobile phone - so-called "no-mobile-phone phobia" (also known as "nomophobia") – and anxiety over not having access to social networks or messaging apps.

It proposes education programmes for parents to detect excessive mobile phone use in children.

The bill also lays out plans for "education towards for a conscientious use of the internet and social networks" in schools and universities.

Nomophobia particularly affects young people, often preventing them getting a good night's sleep.

Apple Cracks Down on Apps That Fight iPhone Addiction

Apple Cracks Down on Apps That Fight iPhone Addiction
By Jack Nicas, The New York Times, 27 April 2019

SAN FRANCISCO — They all tell a similar story: They ran apps that helped people limit the time they and their children spent on iPhones. Then Apple created its own screen-time tracker. And then Apple made staying in business very, very difficult.

Over the past year, Apple has removed or restricted at least 11 of the 17 most downloaded screen-time and parental-control apps, according to an analysis by The New York Times and Sensor Tower, an app-data firm. Apple has also clamped down on a number of lesser-known apps.

In some cases, Apple forced companies to remove features that allowed parents to control their children’s devices or that blocked children’s access to certain apps and adult content. In other cases, it simply pulled the apps from its App Store.

Generation of Child Web Addicts

Study referred to in the article below:  We have posted the conclusions following the article.

Association Between Screen Time and Children’s Performance on a Developmental Screening Test 

Sheri Madigan, PhD; Dillon Browne, PhD; Nicole Racine, PhD; Camille Mori, BA; Suzanne Tough, PhD

JAMA Pediatrics, 28 January 2019

Click on "pdf" in this link for full text of study:  

https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapediatrics/fullarticle/2722666

Generation of child web addicts: Youngsters are becoming so obsessed with the internet they spend more time on YouTube than with friends as parents struggle to keep control of their online usage

By KATHERINE RUSHTON FOR THE DAILY MAIL, 29 January 2019

• Shocking scale of children's internet obsession revealed by new Ofcom study
• Seven out of ten take their phone to bed and even under-5s spend hours online
• A fifth of children 8-12 are on social media – despite supposed ban on under-13s 
• A growing number of parents admit to having 'lost control' of children's habits

The major Ofcom study comes as analysis shows iPads can stunt children's development

United Kingdom: South Hampstead School Asks Parents to Sign Pledge Curbing Phone Use at Home

South Hampstead High School asks parents to sign pledge curbing phone use at home
by Rosemary Bennett, Education Editor, The Times, 30 November 2018

Millions of parents admit they are struggling to cope with
screen-obsessed children/ ALAMY

A leading girls’ independent school has asked its pupils and their parents to sign a contract promising to reduce smartphone use at home.

The school said that it wanted to help families to reset digital habits by requesting them to ban phones during mealtimes and to use commuting time to “read, listen to a book or talk”. The terms of the voluntary contract include a promise to implement a phone-free weekend or a digital holiday.

The two-page “Family Phone Pledge” was sent to parents of pupils at South Hampstead High School, whose alumnae include Helena Bonham Carter and Rabbi Julia Neuberger. It was endorsed by Victoria Bingham, the head teacher, but drawn up by sixth-form pupils studying psychology who said that they were alarmed by their dependence on smartphones.

Germany: Elementary School Students Demonstrate in Hamburg against their Cell Phone Parents

Elementary school students demonstrate in Hamburg against their cell phone parents
swr3.de

Only children spending time on their smartphone? Haha, the reproach can also be returned.

Around 70 children in Hamburg have the motto "Play with me! Not with your cell phones!" Protests against the mobile phone consumption of their parents. They want parents to be less concerned with their cell phones and pay more attention to their children.

With homemade posters, they went through St. Pauli on Saturday, chanting: "We are here, we are loud, because you are looking at your cell phones". Also: "Please abstain from using your cell phone at the sandbox".

Seven-year-old Emil Rustige from Eppendorf called for the demonstration, and his parents registered the demonstration for him with the police.

Girl, 13, 'Addicted to her iPhone' Researched 'Suicide Methods' and Wrote about Funeral Before Hanging Herself

This is very sad and not the first time this has happened.  Society must wake up to the dangers of cell phone addiction and to exposure to microwave radiation emitted by mobile devices.

Girl, 13, 'addicted to iPhone' researched 'suicide methods' and wrote about funeral before hanging herself
By Nick Irving, mirror.co.uk, 9 August 2018

Ellie Phillips was addicted to her iPhone, her mum told
the inquest (Image iStock Editorial)

Ellie Phillips, from Devon, had researched online how to kill herself and written about her own funeral on her iPhone

A 13-year-old schoolgirl who became 'addicted to her iPhone' suffered self image and friendship issues before killing herself, an inquest heard.

Tragic Ellie Phillips researched suicide methods online and wrote about her own funeral.

The inquest was told that the star hockey player had issues with her school and friendship groups in her year.

The 10 Detrimental Health Effects of Wireless Devices

RE-POSTED 3 August 2018
This is a guest article by Juhana Harju, a Finnish non-fiction author and nutrition expert. Besides nutrition, he is also interested in the salutary effects of nature and adverse effects of technology.

The 10 detrimental health effects of wireless devices
by Juhana Harju, sateileeko.wordpress.com, posted 13 July 2017

Children spend too much time fiddling and game-playing with smart-
phones, taking them away from physical activity and being outdoors.

Almost everyone nowadays has a smartphone. We use them so much every day that it is a good idea to consider their possible detrimental effects on health. The observed detrimental effects and risks of smartphone use will henceforth be discussed.

1. The use of smartphones and tablets weakens eyesight

The use of smartphones and tablets has significantly increased myopia or short-sightedness. According to ophthalmologists this is caused by two factors. Too much time is spent viewing at close distance and not enough time is spent outdoors during daylight hours.

How Big Wireless War-Gamed the Science on Risks, While Making Customers Addicted to Their Phones

Exclusive:  Conversation with Mark Hertsgaard, co-author of The Nation's article, “How Big Wireless Made Us Think That Cell Phones Are Safe”  on Democracy Now! (Part 2)

"We continue our conversation with Mark Hertsgaard, The Nation’s environment correspondent and investigative editor, who co-authored a major new exposé: “How Big Wireless Made Us Think That Cell Phones Are Safe.” He discusses how wireless companies “war-gamed the science” by funding friendly studies and attacking critical ones; the potential dangers of the pending expansion of 5G with the “Internet of Things”; the role of the telecommunications industry officials turned federal regulators; and how companies deliberately addicted customers to this technology through the addition of social media."

How Big Wireless War-Gamed the Science on Risks, While Making Customers Addicted to Their Phones (20 mn - 6 April 2018)

Kids' Cellphone Addiction Is Parents' Problem Not Apple's

Our comment:  Yes, parents are partly responsible for their children's cell phone addiction.  No child should be given a cell phone before age 14.  It is not only addiction that is a problem, but also the excessive amount of radiation being emitted by many cell phones. Manufacturers and regulatory agencies are misleading the public on this issue.  Read the articles under the category "Phonegate" on this blog. And protect your children!

Ron Jackson: Kids' cellphone addiction is parents' problem not Apple's
by Ron Jackson, daily-journal.com, 13 January 2018

The American entrepreneurial spirit is something to behold. It is possessed by individuals who have an abundance of drive, vision, versatility, persuasiveness and an affinity to take risks. From the single entity businesses that carve out a local niche to those that grow into international icons, they create or provide a product that consumers want and are willing to pay a fair price for it.

Sometimes, those ideas grow and grow and grow into things consumers don't just want but, ultimately, believe they need. Carving out a sustainable, profitable market share can be the ultimate reward. But even that reward can become a risk. On those rare occasions when the demand for a product reaches a point when consumers irresponsibly use a product, history has shown it can be the entrepreneur who bears the liability.

Facebook Is Using an Old Drug Dealer Tactic to Keep Its Users Hooked

And boy, is it a helluva drug.  (Reuters/Bor Slana)

Facebook is using an old drug dealer tactic to keep its users hooked
by Paul Smalera, qz.com, 12 January 2018

Facebook said it’s making some far-reaching changes to what you see in your newsfeed. Soon, when you see a post, it’s more likely to be because a friend shared the link, rather than because you follow a media company or business that published it.*

Reporter Michael Coren summed up the decision that founder Mark Zuckerberg outlined in a Facebook post:

“We built Facebook to help people stay connected and bring us closer together with the people that matter to us,” Zuckerberg wrote. “But recently we’ve gotten feedback from our community that public content—posts from businesses, brands and media—is crowding out the personal moments that lead us to connect more with each other.”

Apple Defends Its Smartphone Practices for Children After Investor Critique

“We think deeply about how our products are used and the impact they have on users and the people around them,” Apple said in the statement. “We take this responsibility very seriously and we are committed to meeting and exceeding our customers’ expectations, especially when it comes to protecting kids.”

Apple Defends Its Smartphone Practices for Children After Investor Critique
by Tripp Mickle, wsj.com, 8 January 2018

Company says it has been offering parental controls since as early as 2008


(Photo): A baby girl plays with a cellphone while riding on the New York subway. Two major Apple investors have urged the iPhone maker to take action to curb growing smartphone use among children, highlighting growing concern about the effects of gadgets and social media on youngsters. PHOTO: MARK LENNIHAN/ASSOCIATED PRESS

Apple Inc. AAPL -0.37% defended its record of providing parental controls and other protections for children who use its iPhones and other devices, after a pair of prominent investors called on the tech giant to take more steps to curb the ill effects of smartphones.

In a statement late Monday, Apple said that its mobile software includes extensive parental controls governing different types of content and applications, noting that it started offering some of them as early as 2008.

Switzerland: Note Issued by the Child and Youth Health Service of Geneva on the Health Risks of Use of Digital Technology

Note (28 March 2024): We have searched for this article and found that the site "Child and Youth Service" of the Department of Public Instruction, Geneva canton, is closed.

In July 2017, the Child and Youth Service of the Department of Public Instruction, Geneva canton, issued a note on the risks of digital technology to health which must be transmitted to all teachers at the start of the school year. The Service reminds us that screens also affect sleep and eyesight, and favor the development of diseases such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and obesity. The note briefly mentions electromagnetic radiation (in the context of cancer risk and the precautionary recommendations by the Federal Office for Public Health regarding use of Wi-Fi- WLAN). It is our hope that this note will also be sent to all physicians, especially pediatricians.

Republic and Canton of Geneva
Department of Public Instruction, Culture and Sport
Office for Children and Youth
Child and Youth Health Service

Uses of Digital Technology: Health Risks
July 2017 - Translation by the Editor of "Towards Better Health"

Introduction

In the course of the last two decades, the use of MITIC (media, images and information and communication technologies) has grown tremendously and children’s access to screens, limited up until now to television, has considerably developed. Today, young children are already exposed to these technological devices. The concerns of the medical and educational world about the possible effects on the health and development of children are the subject of more and more studies and publications.

The use of digital technology for educational purposes and in teaching is gaining momentum. It is important to know the health effects of MITIC and to take into account that the use of these devices for entertainment purposes is also increasing. Most of the problems described below are all the more important as the use of screens comes early and is prolonged. The introduction of digital technology in school is also an opportunity to communicate preventive messages to children and young people for an optimal use of these devices.

Giving Your Child a Smartphone is Like Giving Them a Gram of Cocaine, Says Top Addiction Expert

Ofcom figures suggest more than four in ten parents of
12-15 year-olds find it hard to control their children's
screen time.  Getty Images

Giving your child a smartphone is like giving them a gram of cocaine, says top addiction expert
by Rachael Pells Education Correspondent,

independent.co.uk, 7 June 2017

Harley Street clinic director Mandy Saligari says many of her patients are 13-year-old girls who see sexting as 'normal'

Giving your child a smartphone is like “giving them a gram of cocaine”, a top addiction therapist has warned.

Time spent messaging friends on Snapchat and Instagram can be just as dangerously addictive for teenagers as drugs and alcohol, and should be treated as such, school leaders and teachers were told at an education conference in London.

iPad Alert: What Exactly Is Your Tablet Doing to Your Kid’s Brain?

These kids may be engrossed in their iPad, but a new book
says the tablet is harmful to their developing brains.
(Photo:  Flickr Creative Commons)

iPad Alert: What Exactly Is Your Tablet Doing to Your Kid’s Brain?
by John Bonazzo, observer.com, 

3 August 2016

Dr. Nicholas Kardaras argues that juvenile tech addiction is a public health crisis

Addiction psychologist Nicholas Kardaras still remembers the “aha moment” ten years ago when he realized that juvenile tech addiction was a public health crisis.

A young man who compulsively played World of Warcraft for 12 hours a day came into his office. He had lost touch with reality after spending so much time in the virtual world, and so thought the office was another level in the game. The boy ended up being sent to a psychiatric hospital.

“I saw the digital scourge impact him in a way that looked not only like clinical addiction but psychosis as well,” Kardaras told the Observer. “This digital psychosis is a strange new phenomenon we haven’t really dealt with.”

Kardaras has spent the last decade examining young tech addicts, and the result is the book Glow Kids: How Screen Addiction Is Hijacking Our Kids—and How to Break the Trance, which will be released August 9.

Powerful Ads Show What Your Child Sees When You're Addicted To Your Phone

Powerful Ads Show What Your Child Sees When You're Addicted To Your Phone
by Caroline Bologna, Associate Editor, The Huffington Post,
10 July 2015

A new Chinese ad campaign illustrates the way smartphones can affect family life and relationships.

Titled "Phone Wall," the campaign by Ogilvy & Mather China is a literal representation of the barriers to human relationships that screen addiction creates.

"Pulling out a phone during a conversation is like erecting a brick wall between two people," Juggi Ramakrishnan, Executive Creative Director (ECD) of Ogilvy & Mather Shanghai, told The Huffington Post. "We want people to see this and rethink their relationships with others and their phone in a different light."

The campaign is for the Center for Psychological Research, Shenyang, a government body focused on raising awareness around social issues and causes. Ramakrishnan says screen addiction is a growing issue in China. "This is a definite pressure point that Chinese society is facing on its path of rapid development," he said, noting that smartphones and social media seem to permeate "all aspects of everyday life" -- from shopping to business to social interactions.

Cell Phone Addiction Is 'An Increasingly Realistic Possibility', Baylor Study of College Students Reveals

Women college students spend 10 hours daily on their
cell phones, Baylor study finds.  (iStockphoto)

Cellphone Addiction Is ‘an Increasingly Realistic Possibility,’ Baylor Study of College Students Reveals
Baylor University, 27 August 2014

WACO, Texas (Aug. 28, 2014) — Women college students spend an average of 10 hours a day on their cellphones and men college students spend nearly eight, with excessive use posing potential risks for academic performance, according to a Baylor University study on cellphone activity published in the Journal of Behavioral Addictions.

“That’s astounding,” said researcher James Roberts, Ph.D., The Ben H. Williams Professor of Marketing in Baylor’s Hankamer School of Business. “As cellphone functions increase, addictions to this seemingly indispensable piece of technology become an increasingly realistic possibility.”

South Korea: Teens Who Are Addicted to Net, Mobile Devices, Now Get Cognitive Disorders

A 15-year-old had symptoms of early onset dementia due to intense exposure to digital technology. Since the age of five, Kim was tethered to either the television or the computer. He is an avid computer game lover.  “His brain’s ability to transfer information to long-term memory has been impaired because of his heavy exposure to digital gadgets,” said psychiatrist Kim Dae-jin at Seoul St. Mary’s Hospital in southern Seoul, who diagnosed Kim and is treating him.  

‘Digital dementia’ is on the rise
by Baek Il-Hyun, Park Eun-Jee, Korea Jung Gang Daily, 24 June 2013

Teens addicted to Net, mobile devices now get cognitive disorders

Addicted to Your Cell Phone? Here's What You Need to Know

Addicted to your cell phone?
by Zeenia Baria, The Times of India, 24 May 2013

Here's what you need to know...

While cell phones have become an indispensable part of our lives, over-attachment and over-dependence on them can spell doom for your health. Here, experts reveal why too much usage can cause you more harm than good...

Reduces sperm count
Gynaecologist and infertility specialist Dr Nandita Palshetkar says that the high-frequency electromagnetic radiation that cell phones emit may be associated with increased risk of brain tumours. "However, other tissues in the body such as the testes may also be sensitive to these cell phone-radiofrequency electromagnetic fields. Cell phone fields, because of their frequency and intensity, are prone to increasing temperature in tissues close to where they are used. Men who use hands-free devices tend to carry their cell phones in their pants pocket or clipped to their belts at the waist while in talk mode. As a result, they may be exposing their testicles to damaging radiofrequency electromagnetic waves. When placed close to the testes, such as in a pocket or on the hip, cell phones have been found to be associated with reduced sperm motility and concentration. Even cell phones that are at rest are emitting signals as they constantly monitor the airwaves for a signal. This seemed to be more associated with the length of time in the proximity of the testes," says Dr Palshetkar.