Why Your Teen’s Smartphone is a Problem – And How You Can Solve It

By Paul Grossinger

Smartphones are now at the edge of every teen’s ear and parents are just learning the consequences.

Parents and caretakers of pre-teens and teens already know how much time kids spend on their smartphones.  Sometimes, it feels as though the devices never, ever shut off.

But, the problems smartphones cause teens go far beyond simple overuse.  This is a guide to the worst problems smartphones cause, with statistics taken from Pew Research and Berg Insights data, and how parents and caretakers can proactively find a solution.

TEXTING AND DRIVING

In 2012, 400,000 teens were injured and 3,000 were killed in distracted driving-related accidents.  Texting and driving, which increases crash risk by 23X – double the rate of drunk driving – played a critical role in many of those deaths.

CYBER-BULLYING

75% of teens will willingly share confidential or sensitive information over mobile devices.  There are serious consequences: 26% of teens are bullied or harassed by cell phone but only one quarter tell a responsible adult.  The result is hundreds of thousands of unhappy, bullied teens, powerless caretakers, and hundreds of tragic teen suicides.

SEXUAL APPS

Teens love apps but parents need to know where to draw the line.  While some apps are harmless, others, like the sex app Skout for example, masquerade as innocent-looking icons but can get teens into serious trouble.  As a parent or caretaker, you need to know what apps your teen is using and take appropriate action to block or restrict those that are unsafe.

DISTRACTION FROM SCHOOL

Smartphones can be learning aids – when used properly and judiciously.  However, 64% of teens report having sent texts while in the classroom and over half report sending over 100 texts per day – schooldays included.  Clearly, parents need a way to shut smartphones off during time allocated for school and studying.

So, how can parents and caretakers act?  First, have a conversation with your pre-teen or teen?  Find out where you think there are concerns and start an open dialogue.  Communication is critical.

But, communication alone does not guarantee protection.  Consider using new mobile security software applications, which will enable you to quietly monitor your teens’ phone activity – making sure they are safe without causing a rift in your family.

MMGuardian Premium is a strong example of this software.  If you install MMGuardian on your child’s phone, it will run in the background – not alerting your teen unless specific features are activated – and keep you appraised of their text messages, location, phone apps, and texting and driving habits.  MMGuardian is a dual monitoring and prevention tool and parents will need both to handle the rising problems with teen smartphone use.