Mobile phones just might be young people’s best friend, whether their parents like it or not.
More than 50% of kids get 237 notifications per day — while some receive as many as 4,500 every day, according to Common Sense Media’s findings. The largest share of notifications came from apps including Snapchat and TikTok. Of the 85 participants under age 13, 68% used social media and had at least one app rated “teen” or higher – allowing access to “age-inappropriate experiences,” the study suggested.
“They lose the ability to have face-to-face interactions, and to converse and connect with others,” she said in an interview with Fox News Digital.“The phones and all the apps aren’t real-life interactions, and there is beauty in connecting with others face-to-face that is lost,” Kelman went on. Kelman warned parents that smartphone usage triggers the same dopamine release as drugs, as apps are designed to “reel kids in and keep them hooked.”
“It’s a phone that lets parents manage and monitor their usage, but there is no internet and only specific, parent-approved apps that can be turned on and off at will,” she said.“Better for your child to have a little FOMO [fear of missing out] than to have access to porn, become a victim of sextortion, or lose the ability to truly connect with other people.”