Four in ten teenage girls 'are addicted to internet': Youngsters increasingly showing signs

of compulsion with their tablets and smart phones

Nearly two thirds of pupils said in survey they took their gadget to bed with them 46 per
cent of teen girls asked thought they were addicted to the internet 2,000 secondary school
pupils aged 11 to 17 asked their views in survey.
By LAURA CLARK, EDUCATION CORRESPONDENT

Four in ten teenagers believe they are addicted to the internet with girls affected
more than boys, a survey found.
Youngsters are increasingly displaying signs of compulsion to use their tablets
and smartphones, including taking their devices to bed and in some cases even
preferring the company of gadgets to people.
The findings prompted Tablets for Schools, the charity which conducted the
survey, to launch a charter on how families can set boundaries to foster a
healthy relationship with the internet.
Advice includes banning children from taking their devices to bed and
encouraging them to buy alarm clocks instead of using their phones for the
purpose.
The survey, which questioned more than 2,000 secondary school pupils aged 11
to 17, found that 39 per cent believe they are addicted to the internet.
The figure was higher among girls at 46 per cent, whereas 36 per cent of boys
thought they were addicted.
The poll found that girls spent more time chatting to friends on social networks
while boys were more absorbed by computer games.
One 11-year-old girl said: ‘I can never get off it, and at night I stay up for two to
three hours after I’m meant to be asleep.’
A 12-year-old girl, said: ‘The internet nearly always controls my actions. I have
been told that I am addicted to the internet, and prefer its company rather than
being with other people.’
And a third pupil said: ‘If I had no wi-fi I would have no life.’
Nearly two-thirds of pupils - 64 per cent - said they took their gadget to bed with
them.
Of these, most were using their phone or computer to talk to friends on social
media, watch films or videos or play games.
One 12-year-old boy said: ‘It’s the first thing I look at in the morning and the last
thing at night. It seems I’m constantly on it.’
A girl of the same age commented: ‘I get nervous when I’m not on the internet
for a long time. I feel like I’m missing something.’
The poll, conducted by the charity Tablets for Schools, led to the development of
a charter on internet use for teachers and families.
It urges youngsters to resist the temptation to take their device to bed and use a
proper alarm clock instead of their phone.
There should also be time limits on how youngsters can use devices with
specific times during the day or week for being ‘unplugged’.
Youngsters were also urged to ‘switch off and sleep’ and ‘don’t use your device
as a clock, invest in a real alarm clock.’
The charter also said that students should protect their study time, find new
‘boredom busters’ - activities they enjoy away from using the internet - and
dedicate certain times of the day or week to being ‘unplugged’.
Andrew Harrison, the chairman of Tablets for Schools and chief executive of
Carphone Warehouse, said tablets can be an ‘incredible force for good’.
It may be that we all, adults and young people, need to impose boundaries on the
way in which we use our digital devices
But he added: ‘This Charter of guidance from pupils themselves is invaluable.
‘Boundaries can help maintain a healthy relationship with the internet.’
A report accompanying the poll admits that use of the term ‘addiction’ is
controversial.
Psychologist Professor Tanya Byron argues that by labelling behaviour such as
technology use an ‘addiction’ we run the risk of ignoring the responsibility we
have as individuals and parents for our own behaviour,’ the report said.
Youngsters were referring to addiction in the ‘vernacular sense’, the report said.
It adds: ‘It may be that we all, adults and young people, need to impose
boundaries on the way in which we use our digital devices.
‘We might question whether it is a good idea to use devices late into the night, or
take the device to bed. Importantly it seems that a dialogue needs to take place
between young people and the adults in their lives, be it in school or at home,
about using the internet safely, wisely and in a way which enhances their
wellbeing.’
The charity’s charter on internet use for teachers and families says students
should protect their study time, find new ‘boredom busters’ – activities they enjoy
away from the internet – and dedicate times of the day to being ‘unplugged’ from
their devices.