Do you think you’re addicted to your phone? You might have a power bank

Several studies have found links between teens suffering from depression, anxiety and insomnia and a condition called problematic drug use. smartphonesor PSU, which follows patterns similar to addiction. A study by the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience at King’s College London found that just over 33% of participants reported PSU, and they were twice as likely to experience anxiety and three times as likely to experience depression.

The study was conducted over several weeks in both 2020 and 2022 and found that 18.7% of 16- to 18-year-olds and 14.5% of 13- to 16-year-olds in the studies showed signs of PSU, with the oldest age group then two to three times more likely to suffer from anxiety and depression. Of the younger age group, the study found that 44% of those with PSU had symptoms of anxiety, compared with 26% without PSU, and 55% had symptoms of depression, compared with 35% without PSU.

With such alarming statistics, it’s no wonder the study is getting attention, but before phones are ripped out of teens’ hands, it’s important to understand what PSU is, how it was measured in these studies, and how those who recognize it as a problem are coping with it.

Addiction, Screen Time, and Apps

The studies are relatively small, involving 657 16- to 18-year-olds and 69 13- to 16-year-olds, but that shouldn’t detract from their importance. However, New Scientist points out that problematic smartphone use is not a recognised or diagnosable condition in the US or UK, and according to the studies, both used the Smartphone Addiction Scale to assess your presence. Created in 2013, the short version of the Smartphone Addiction Scale asks 10 questions about your relationship with your phone and apps, which can be answered with a yes or no.

What’s interesting about the study is that it showed that teenagers are aware of PSU, or at least the problems it can cause, and many are doing something about it. Dr Nicola Kalk, lead author of both papers, said: “Many young people in our studies used cut-down strategies, showing they are already taking active steps to manage their smartphone use. They found that turning on silent, deleting notifications and putting the phone in another room before bed were the most effective. “These are the same strategies that college students found helpful in cutting down on smartphone use.”

The studies also found no correlation between PSU and screen time, and that some apps may contribute to this effect more than others. The study summary states that “screen time was not associated with anxiety or depression in 16- to 18-year-olds,” and while “there was little difference in screen use,” WhatsAppgames and internet use”, PSU was more often found in those who used Tik Tak And Instagram.

Tech brands are working on solutions

The study comes at a time when companies such as H.M.D. (formerly known as HMD Global) is building a portfolio of devices designed to help minimise smartphone use, and says many young people are turning to feature phones to help reduce their smartphone and app usage. It recently launched The Best Phone Projectwhich involves parents in creating new devices to help kids better manage their phone use. It follows the HMD Skyline phone with a special digital detox mode.

But the push to help us all maintain a healthy relationship with our smartphones began long before that, and Google’s Digital Wellbeing was one of the most visible moves by a major tech company to highlight phone time and potential addiction when it launched in 2018. Other companies include similar tools in their phones, like Oppo and OnePlus’ Zen mode, and Apple has its own customizable focus modes.

The link between smartphones (or technology in general) and anxiety and depression is not new, and not everyone is convinced. Chris Ferguson, a professor of clinical psychology at Stetson University in Florida, told The Times that “overuse of technology is best understood as a new symptom of old disorders like depression, anxiety or ADHD, rather than a new set of problems. “Even if we could wave a magic wand and make all smartphones disappear, these kids would still have problems exaggerating other things.”

Ferguson added that the data showed a need to “rethink the way we approach technology,” and hopefully the new wave of devices that benefit from our understanding of something like power supplies will reflect this, as research also shows that they’ve been impacted by it, and are already quite good at recognizing it and doing something about it themselves.