A definition of addiction is “...something that interferes with you living your life"(Family Bootcamp). In some cases addiction is not always concerning. You can have an addiction to chocolate; people may laugh about it, but it is not serious. Teen phone addiction in America is a gigantic problem though, and you wouldn’t believe what can happen from phone addiction. People need to learn the symptoms of and how to stop teen phone addiction.

To begin, teens who have a phone addiction, may have symptoms like anxiety and a low self-esteem. Anxiety is “a state of uneasiness or tension caused by apprehension of possible future misfortune, danger, etc; worry” (dictionary). Teens will feel uneasy when they do not have their phone. If teens are going to do something they may not be able to focus because they will just be thinking about their phone. Self-esteem is the confidence that someone thinks of him or herself. A teen that has a low self-esteem will make the teen look depressed. The teen may not want to go anywhere and will always think that they are horrible at everything. Phone addiction creates this because teens see what some people look like on social media and they say I will never be as amazing as them. This will but teens down and lower their self-esteem. A teen could be so addicted that they don’t care about anything else. Teens may have the "Inability to succeed at school or keep a job because of the addiction. Harmed or lost relationships as a result of lying and deceiving others to justify the chosen addiction. Positive growth such as staying physically fit, making healthy relationships, and progressing in life are all made secondary to the habit"(Family Bootcamp). This teen will also be anxious whenever they don’t have their phone. One crazy statistic is that “94% of teens use the internet with their smartphone at least once a day, some more than once” (psychguides). This seems crazy but if you think about it, it is a reasonable percentage, like after my classes when I look around at my classmates almost everyone is on their phone doing something with the internet. You will not get addicted after just using your phone a few times a day though it will happen over time and you may not even know.

To continue, bad habits may lead to phone addiction and if you have a phone addiction try and enforce a no-phone policy. Bad habits with your phone may be when you are in a conversation and get a notification and have to check during the conversation. Psychguides says that “...24% consider to be online ‘almost constantly’” (psychguides). Almost one fourth of teens say they’re online “almost constantly” which is crazy. If you consider yourself one of these people you should try and prevent it. Family bootcamp says that you can “...use a box to enforce no-phone family time” (Family Bootcamp). This is where you get everyone's phones in the family, turn them off and place them in a box. This will teach teens about phone etiquette because you know when and where you can be on your phone and when you should not. There are many more ways to prevent or help phone addiction so if one does not work for you try another.

These are few of the symptoms of and how to stop teen phone addiction that people need to know. You do not want being addicted to your phone to interfere with school or even relationships you have. If you are addicted though you have to recognize your bad habits and then stop your phone addiction. To conclude, phone addiction should be a well known topic by teens in America.



Works Cited
“Anxiety. Dictionary, n.d. Web.”
“Teen Cell Phone Addiction. Family Bootcamp, n.d. Web.”
“Teen Cell Phone Addiction. PsychGuides, n.d. Web.”