Who's Responsible for Children's Smartphone Use?

A decade into the age of smartphones, most of us have grown accustomed to having a mobile device with us wherever we go. And while being able to watch Netflix on the subway certainly has its perks, the question of whether the net effect of smartphones on our health and wellbeing is actually positive is increasingly up for debate.

Tech addiction is a growing concern in modern societies as more and more people realize that they may be spending a little too much time with their phone instead of engaging in real world activities. Several studies have linked smartphone use with negative effects on mental and physical wellbeing with children seen as particularly vulnerable to the distractive lure of the small screen. Earlier this year, a group of Apple shareholders even went as far as writing an open letter to the company, asking it to assist further research into the matter and to take measures that would help parents manage their children’s device use.

According to a recent survey conducted by the non-profit organization Common Sense Media, many parents are in fact concerned with the smartphone use of their children, with nearly half of them saying their child might be addicted to his or her mobile device. Unlike the aforementioned group of Apple investors, most parents see themselves as primarily responsible for limiting their children’s device use, but having more advanced parental controls implemented in mobile device operating systems would certainly help them do so.