Giving children smartphones is like giving them a ‘gram of cocaine’, says addiction expert
A top addiction therapist is warning parents that allowing your child to have a smartphone could be as damaging as “giving them a gram of cocaine.”
At a recent education conference in London, Harley Street rehab clinic specialist Mandy Saligari told parents and teachers that apps like Snapchat and Instagram can be just as addictive for vulnerable teens as alcohol and drugs.
“I always say to people, when you’re giving your kid a tablet or a phone, you’re really giving them a bottle of wine or a gram of coke,” she said.
“Are you really going to leave them to knock the whole thing out on their own behind closed doors?"
Ms Saligari made the comments at the Highgate Junior School conference today, speaking alongside other professionals in children's mental health.
She pushed parents to think about the compulsive urges that go hand in hand with owning a smartphone, and how this mirrors the brain patterns found in drug addicts or problem gamblers.
“Why do we pay so much less attention to those things than we do to drugs and alcohol when they work on the same brain impulses?,” she said, citing eating disorders, self-harm and sexting as examples.
The Harley Street therapist told of how she had treated several young female clients that believed that sending a picture of themselves naked to someone on their mobile phone is 'normal', and that it’s only an issue when a parent or teacher finds out.
“So many of my clients are 13 and 14 year-old-girls who are involved in sexting, and describe sexting as ‘completely normal’,” said Ms Saligari.
“If children are taught self-respect they are less likely to exploit themselves in that way,” said Ms Saligari. “It’s an issue of self-respect and it’s an issue of identity.”
The warning comes as it was revealed that children as young as 13 are being treated for addiction to digital technology while more than four in ten parents of 12-15 year-olds say they find it hard to control their children’s screen time.
A recent survey of 1,500 parents found that, on average, UK children own their first mobile phone by the age of seven, followed by a tablet aged eight and a smartphone aged 10.
However, the therapist does believe that it is possible to help children to strike a better balance between screen time and real life - no matter what age they are at.
“With sixth formers and teenagers, you’re going to get resistance, because to them it’s like a third hand,” said Ms Saligari, “but I don’t think it’s impossible to intervene. Schools asking pupils to spend some time away from their phone I think is great.
“If you catch [addiction] early enough, you can teach children how to self-regulate, so we’re not policing them and telling them exactly what to do,” she added.
“What we’re saying is, here’s the quiet carriage time, here’s the free time – now you must learn to self-regulate. It’s possible to enjoy periods of both.”
ArticleGiving children smartphones is like giving them a ‘gram of cocaine’ChildrenSmartphone addictionTime spent on Snapchat and Instagram can be just as addictive as drugs and alcohol
Giving children smartphones is like giving them a ‘gram of cocaine’, says addiction expertPublishedImageMedium width1Thursday, June 8, 2017 - 16:09OnEnable video endboarddefaultThursday, June 8, 2017 - 15:45Greater LondonEnable Georiot JSEnable Skimlinks JSGBEnable awin JSKey Points