Parents need to be aware. An increasing number of teenagers are now short-sighted due to prolonged smartphone screen time. Their postures are now slumped, shoulders curved forward, neck craned down towards their hand-held device. The most concerning effect is their deteriorating attention span due to the fast-paced content they watch online. Two-second-scroll is robbing them of patience and attention to details: two essential skills for exceptionality, both at school and beyond. We are now dealing with self imposed short attention span while the diagnosis of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder is a growing epidermic.
Last weekend was a whirlwind of activities for me: running errands, cleaning, gardening, shopping and sorting out the groceries. I barely had a moment to breathe. Somewhere in the middle of it all, I lost track of my teenage son. I figured he was busy with his weekend homework, especially given the heavy load he had. The only sign of activity from him was the irritated tone in his voice whenever I called for help. He should have been helping out, but I chose to power through on my own instead of wrestling with a grumpy teenager. I kept my head down, hoping he was doing the same with his studies.
That evening, I did my usual check-in. Our rule is simple: phone gets handed in by 9 p.m. on the days he’s allowed to use it. When I picked it up, what I saw floored me; 12 hours and 46 minutes of screen time in a day. Then I realised not a single homework assignment was touched. Rather, his entire day was spent scrolling through Instagram, TikTok, and chatting with friends on Snapchat. In that moment, one thought echoed in my mind: social media is a thief of time, and the smartphone is its loyal accomplice.
I was born in the 60s, and in my younger days, staying in touch was a challenge. We had no cell phones, no laptops, no internet. When my best friend moved overseas with her family, our bond was tested. I’d travel over 20 kilometres just to call her from a phone booth. Sometimes I waited there, at a scheduled time just to receive a call from her. We wrote letters, but replies took weeks, sometimes months to arrive. Eventually, my dad installed a rotary phone at home, which he locked to curb the bills. We could then receive calls but couldn’t dial out. Still, that was progress.
I remember wishing for easier telecommunication. Just being able to hear her voice meant the world to me. I didn’t wish for more. Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine the future we now live in; a world where video calls cross continents in real time, where letters travel the globe in a matter of seconds, where we carry our life details in our pockets. Such an incredible advancement in technology and most especially in telecommunication. My wish came true, but with far more than I bargained for.
Technology is a gift. But like many gifts, it comes with strings. Nearly 13 hours on the phone in one single day? That’s not just unhealthy, it’s preposterous. That’s time he could have spent studying, playing outdoors, connecting face to face with others or even helping out with the chores. Now, the glow of a screen competes with the pages of a textbook and lending a helping hand at home.
These children are becoming less active as they have ditched outdoor play for phone scroll, they would rather be glued to the couch than chase a ball at the park.
The effects go deeper than these. I once overheard a parent comment that a large number of teenagers are wearing glasses for fashion. No, it’s not for fashion, they are losing their long distance vision.
The phone is no longer just a tool, it’s a trap.
Sometimes I find myself wishing we could turn back time. Back to when children played outside every evening. When we shouted, laughed, ran and fell, learning and growing with every scraped knee and burst of laughter. To back then, when conversations were real, eye contact made, and we didn’t need filters to express ourselves. When friendships were tangible and parents knew every friend by name. Life felt fuller. And parenting? Somehow, it seemed easier.
But we can’t go back. Time only moves forward. And while smartphones are here to stay, how we guide our children to use them is still within our control. These devices are powerful; they open doors to education, information, connection and creativity. There is so much to learn online. With these devices, the world is at their fingertips but without balance, they can just as easily close doors to their progression in life.
Personal Reflection
So now, I’m rethinking things. It’s not about resisting the times or stopping technology from advancing because that is inevitable. It’s about balance, boundaries, and being brave enough to say no when needed. My son once mentioned the smartest boy in his class doesn’t even own a smartphone. That stuck with me. If he’s thriving without one, then clearly, it’s dispensable.
If you haven’t gotten a smart phone for your teenager yet, you may want to rethink the options. What extra value is it adding to their lives that the desktop and laptop can’t? And if you are already in the same boat as me, in the battle to keep your teenager off the scroll, then it’s time to set the rules straight. There is no one-size-fits-all when it comes to parenting. We have to deal with each child according to their need.
Measures that I have used include limiting the use of the mobile phone to the weekends. I ensured there is no mobile data plan on his phone, internet use is limited to home internet. I have given rewards for off-screen time and bounties for academic excellence. We are constantly negotiating and renegotiating to find a balance.
A lot of adults are hooked on their phones and these social apps. I expect adults to have more control of their screen time, and if they don’t, there is less at stake.
For teenagers, there is more at stake. There is an opportunity cost for every second spent on the phone; time for their academics is the better option forgone. There are health implications for excessive screen time and worst of all, their growing impatience and lack of attention to details. As parents, we have to step up to our responsibility of care by setting boundaries and enforcing them with regards to how our children use their phone. It’s a hard task but achievable. The priority is to limit it’s use to a healthy level that sustains time efficiency and their functionality. We can do it.