What should I do if I'm addicted to my phone? Phone addiction and how to get rid of it. Limit your use time

Every week, Look At Me highlights one notable app that's changing the way we think about... mobile interfaces, and understands what is behind the icon in App Store- ideas, technologies, developers. In the new episode - a conversation with the creator of the minimalistic application Moment, which allows you to track how much time the user spends on his phone.

The Moment app is virtually invisible- just open it once and install it custom settings, and then it will only send notifications.

Daily limit for smartphone use Each user can install it independently and change it if desired.

The Moment app also adds a feature to automatically track a user's movements throughout the day.

Moment pauses automatic tracking when the battery charge reaches below 15%. To activate the function back, you just need to re-open the application.

On this moment the application is only available for iOS users, however, a version for Android devices will be released soon.

The Moment app automatically tracks how much time a user spends on their phone. In the settings, you can select your daily limit, and when the user exceeds it, the application sends him a notification accordingly. Additionally, Moment lets you set up a gentle reminder to send you when any portion of a user's daily limit is reached, such as, "Hey, it's only 11 a.m. and you're already close to half your daily limit." main feature Moment application is that it is practically invisible and works in background, only periodically sending notifications. The developers set themselves the task not to force users to give up their smartphone, but to help them balance their time and start focusing on positive aspects outside the phone screen. The app also has a feature that automatically tracks where the user has been throughout the day.

Kevin Holash

creator of the Moment app

“At first, when I tried to monitor my iPhone usage, I manually recorded the time I spent on my phone. That is, literally by the hour: what time I picked up the phone and what time I put it down. Of course, this method was inaccurate and not very convenient, because I often forgot to write down this or that indicator. I wanted to find an automated way to track my phone usage so I didn't have to think about it. When I created Moment, I wasn't trying to prove to people that they should change something in their lives or point out how addicted they are to their phones. Everyone has their own head on their shoulders. Moment is made for people who want to be aware of how many minutes a day they use their phone, and if they are not fully aware of this number, then small, unobtrusive reminders will help them.

The main principle of the Moment app is to be invisible. I don't need people to build Moment-based motivational groups or otherwise engage with the app. I want users to open Moment just once and never have to interact with it directly again, other than, of course, adjusting their notification settings. I want these little reminders to be the “app.”

I'm the one developing and designing the Moment app, but my fiancee helped me tremendously with the idea. We’ve known each other for 10 years and are getting married in September.”

Today we cannot imagine life without our phone. But if the first units only allowed calling and listening simple ringtones, then the current smartphone provides unhindered access to the Internet, calls, listening to music, watching movies. With the advent of new technologies, new nervous disorders have appeared. Pathological dependence on mobile gadget called nomophobia. Let's try to figure out what this nervous disorder is and how to get rid of it.

Telephone addiction is scientifically called nomophobia.

Signs of abnormalities

Each of us has a phone, and we often hold it in our hands, but this does not mean that all people are nomophobes. It is necessary to distinguish the fine line between adequate use of technology and nervous breakdown. Scientists divide users into 3 categories.

Unattached people are people who feel at ease both with and without a gadget.
People with prosthetics are people who feel anxious if they don’t have a mobile phone at hand, but if they wish, they can easily refuse to use it.
Cyborgs are individuals who cannot imagine their lives without a mobile friend.

communicating online or over the phone is easier than in person;
All free time a person spends on talking on the phone, texting or checking email;
an individual is constantly in tension if his battery runs out or he forgot to take his mobile phone with him;
the desire to constantly update your gadget to latest model, download the latest programs;
the gadget is constantly in sight, and if it disappears from reach, the individual experiences stress;
a person experiences fear when his gadget falls into the wrong hands;
Nomophobes usually have several spare mobile phones and a couple of SIM cards;
there is a feeling of helplessness, uselessness if the phone is lost;
despite the danger of getting hit by a car on the road, when a call or SMS comes in, a nomophobe will take the phone out of his pocket;
fear that the account will run out of money and it will be impossible to make calls, send SMS, or access the Internet.

Signs of mobile addiction

Causes

Usually, addiction occurs in people who are too emotional, have low self-esteem, and have problems with communication. One of the main reasons for addiction to mobile phone Among young people there is a fear of being left alone with oneself. This fear often appears in teenagers. They are very often left alone with their problems, because their parents have no time to deal with this, or the relationship with them does not work out at all. Teenagers spend quite a lot of time talking on the phone or surfing the Internet.

The desire to feel needed is another reason. When a person is constantly called, texted, sent last news, he feels like the center of the Universe.

If this stops abruptly, then he begins to feel that he has become unnecessary to anyone, everyone has turned away from him.

Gadgets allow you to move away from the usual norms of communication and not experience the emotions that are inherent in a person during a live conversation. For example, you can quarrel with your interlocutor or leave your partner via SMS and not even feel guilty about it.

Consequences

Psychological dependence on the phone can lead to serious consequences. Some rehabilitation centers have already developed programs to eliminate this disorder. If you compare mobile phone addiction with drug addiction or alcoholism, you will find that it will be much more difficult to get rid of it. The device does not have a toxic effect on the body, but gradually destroys the nervous system and psyche.

Mobile addiction leads to serious complications:

decreased efficiency of the immune system;
memory impairment;
insomnia, apathy;
headaches, irritability;
decreased quality of vision;
pressure surges;
panic attacks;
the formation of new phobic disorders.

There is a real danger of lightning striking your phone during a thunderstorm. He is good electrical conductor. Nomophobia may seem like a fantasy to some, but it can cause serious mental problems. In advanced cases, this problem provokes sound hallucinations. A person constantly seems to be receiving calls or messages. Some mental disorders associated with nomophobia are treated with medications in a hospital.

Insomnia is one of the consequences of the disorder

Treatment and prevention

At the very beginning, you need to honestly admit to yourself that the problem really exists. Then try to understand why this device is needed, what it means for the victim. You can start self-treatment by turning off your cell phone while the person is on a day off. If this is too difficult to do initially, you need to practice. for example, try to visualize the picture that the gadget is disabled. Then you should analyze your condition, think about why these sensations came. As soon as the visualization stops causing negative feelings, you need to turn off the phone for 1 hour. And each time add 10-20 minutes to this time.

You should try to set aside a specific place for your cell phone at home; you should not carry it with you all the time. Try to travel out of town more often, to places where there is no network coverage. Your mobile phone will always be with you, but you will not be able to use it.

If you need to pay attention to your loved ones and friends, then it’s time to use the phone and make an appointment. When you arrive at the appointed place, do not take your mobile phone out of your pocket, only live communication and nothing more, concentrate on the interlocutor. If the symptomatic picture persists after the techniques performed, you should seek help from a specialist.

Drug therapy and psychocorrection

In severe cases, the situation requires medical intervention and serious therapy. Patients with a history of panic attacks, increased anxiety, and memory impairment are prescribed antidepressants and sedatives. Nootropics are indicated to restore brain function. In difficult situations, when dependence on cell phone leads to attacks of aggression (often observed in adolescents when they are prohibited from using the telephone); tranquilizers are indicated to reduce nervous tension and normalize sleep.

A person is constantly under stress. Its consequences are disastrous for nervous system. Psychological dependence of moderate severity is treated with mild herbal sedatives. This is the well-known “Persen”, “Sedavit”, “Fitosed”, etc. In addition, any addiction is a consequence of one’s own inferiority or childhood trauma, the cause must be eliminated. If a person is unable to overcome the disease on his own, psychologists offer several methods of psychocorrection, which can be carried out individually or in a group. The most effective are 2 methods.

Cognitive behavioral therapy.
Interpersonal therapy.

The goal of both methods is to adapt a person to life next to his phobia. No one is saying that you need to completely abandon your mobile phone, you just need to use it rationally. During sessions, patients are taught various situations, in which the telephone is not used, consider the underlying reasons that gave rise to addictive behavior.

"Sedavit" is a mild sedative

Prevention

Prevention of phone addiction involves reducing the time you use it. Today, this device can replace everything: an alarm clock, a player, and even a PC. Buy a regular alarm clock so you don't have to put the gadget under your pillow at night.

Your friends, family and employees should clearly understand that you have your own personal time, which you spend as you please, so gradually give up long conversations on the phone on weekends, spend more time with your family, communicating in person.

Conclusion

Phone addiction is a disease of the 21st century. It is common in all developed countries and is equivalent to drug addiction. Overcoming mental addiction is always more difficult than toxic addiction. The only way to avoid becoming a cyborg is timely prevention of nomophobia, which is best started in childhood. Don’t try to buy your child such a “toy” too early; don’t take away his opportunity to learn how to interact with society and enjoy real life.

Anna Mironova

Reading time: 9 minutes

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Civilization has brought many necessary things into our lives that have made our existence much easier. True, everything has “two sides of the moon”. Including the benefits of civilization. And if earlier we were afraid of the dark and spiders, then modern fears make us think about the benefits and harms of these new technologies. One of the modern phobias is nomophobia.

What does this dependence threaten, what does it represent, and when is it time to see a doctor ?

Causes of nomophobia - what is phone addiction?

Is life possible modern man without a mobile phone? Oddly enough, some people do quite well without them. But for most a real disaster - forgetting your mobile phone at home, running out to work in the morning. A day that has passed without a phone is considered lost in vain, and how many nerves have been spent, how many necessary calls have been missed, how much gossip from friends has passed by - it’s impossible to count.

Causes no less panic suddenly dead phone battery . Being left without communication – what could be worse? The phone is always at hand - on the road in your pocket, while sleeping under the pillow, in the kitchen during lunch, and even in the bathroom and toilet. A being outside the “coverage area” is a complete disaster , which threatens a nervous breakdown.

According to statistics, Every seventh person has nomophobia in a country with a developed civilization.

What are the causes of this disease of the 21st century - nomophobia?

Fear of helplessness and isolation from the outside world. Barely telephone booths are a thing of the past, phones have become not just our constant companions - they have completely subjugated us. And if previously the lack of connection with the world was a completely natural phenomenon, today it leads to panic - there is no way to call for help, there is no connection with loved ones and friends, there is not even a clock or calendar. What can we say about the Internet on smartphones? e-books, games, etc.
Advertising. Adults are still able to resist the flow unnecessary information, but the unformed psyche of children does not allow them to filter out the unnecessary and necessary. Moreover, the more unobtrusive the advertising (films, cartoons, sports and show business stars, etc.), the more firmly the idea becomes stronger in the child’s head that life without a phone is impossible, that “skin and bones” is the standard of beauty, that smoking is cool, and a bottle of whiskey should always be on your home bar. As for moms and dads, they are influenced by numerous promotions, fabulous discounts, “multi-functionality,” fashion, etc.
Fear of loneliness. Self-sufficiency as a phenomenon is gradually disappearing into oblivion. And today’s younger generation mistakenly mistakes the ability to be self-sufficient. for a long time to be alone, surrounded by mobile phones, tablets and laptops. How many people can withstand at least a day without modern means connections? According to experiments, no more than 10 percent of people survive this “hell.” Why? It would seem that it would be difficult to spend a day in a real normal life, leaving all means of communication at home? But no. There is no one to send an SMS to, no one calls, no one sends emails or calls on Skype. And there comes a feeling of uselessness, followed by emptiness and panicky fear of loneliness. It’s like you’ve been thrown onto a desert island, your scream is carried by the wind, and the only one who hears you is you.
The illusion of sociality and impunity. IN real life the person has practically no friends, communicates with anyone extremely rarely, is closed, taciturn, and perhaps has a bag of complexes. A telephone is one of the ways to feel in demand, ignoring any barriers inherent in real life. Forums, social networks, etc. On the Internet you can be anyone, you can spit on the rules of decency, not restrain your emotions, and not feel guilty. With the help of SMS alone, they start affairs, break off relationships, and cross boundaries that in reality they would not have the courage to cross.

Symptoms of phone addiction - check if you have nomophobia

How addicted are you to your phone? you may not even suspect . You can talk about nomophobia if...

You are excited and nervous when you can't find your mobile phone.
Feeling anger, panic and impending hysteria , increased heart rate and dizziness when losing your phone.
Feeling of discomfort, trembling in hands and loss of control over yourself do not leave you until the phone is found.
The feeling of anxiety does not go away , even if you spend 10 minutes without your phone.
Away (at an important meeting, in class, etc.) you constantly look at your phone , check email and the weather, note whether the antenna is picking up, despite the fact that no one should call or write to you now.
You don't raise your hand to turn off the phone , even in an environment that requires it.
Do you take your phone with you on vacation? , to the beach, to the garden, to the car (while driving), to the store, which is 2 minutes away, to the bathroom, to the toilet and under the pillow at night.
If you receive an SMS or call while you are crossing the road, you pull out your phone, despite the danger.
Are you afraid that your phone battery will run out? , and even carry a charger with you just in case.
You constantly check to see if a new SMS has arrived , letter and whether there were any missed calls.
Are you afraid that the money in your account will suddenly run out? . Which you always put into your account “with a reserve”.
You constantly follow all the new products in the world mobile technologies, update the phone itself, take care of the beauty of the case, purchase various accessories (cases, key chains, strings, etc.).
Do you regularly download images? , games and programs, change ringtones and settings.

How to overcome mobile phone addiction, and when should you see a doctor?

Nomophobia has long been recognized by all experts in the world as an addiction, similar to alcoholism, drug addiction and gambling addiction . It is even included in the list of rehabilitation programs in many centers for helping addicts.

Of course, phone addiction won't damage your liver or kill your lungs, but its "toxic" effect spreads on human consciousness and on his relationship with the real world.

Not to mention consequences electromagnetic radiation from any mobile phone:

Changes at the cellular level up to the appearance of tumors.
Memory loss.
Headaches, irritability.
Decreased immunity.
Adverse effects on the functioning of the endocrine and cardiovascular systems.
Decreased vision.
Disruption of the natural alternation of sleep phases.
Pressure changes.

It is also worth noting that talking on a cell phone during a thunderstorm extremely dangerous to life. The telephone is an ideal conductor for discharging electricity. It is advisable to turn it off altogether during a thunderstorm outside.

A telephone is also dangerous to life if you talk on it while driving a car.

When should you suspect you have nomophobia and visit a doctor?

Psychological addiction to the phone is considered destructive and requires treatment if you have all (or partially) the symptoms of nomophobia, to which you can add another (already very serious) sign of addiction - auditory hallucinations. They represent the illusion of a call or the sound of an SMS when the phone actually does not ring or is completely turned off.

Nomophobia is not a harmless habit, as many people mistakenly believe. She can become quite serious mental illness , which will have to be treated with medicinal methods.

How to get rid of nomophobia?

Ask yourself a question: do you need your phone so much that you can’t live without it even for 20 minutes? Most likely, the earth will not open up and the apocalypse will not come if leave your phone at home from time to time.
Start small - stop carrying your phone around the apartment. You will be surprised, but if you run to the store without a mobile phone, then when you come home you will not find hundreds of missed calls on it.
It is strictly forbidden to sleep with a phone under your pillow. First, your brain needs to rest before going to bed. Secondly, the radiation that you catch from under your pillow overnight will not compare with your anxiety - “what if someone calls.” Take care of your health.
Talk on the phone only in emergencies. For example, if you need to call for help, report an important meeting, etc. Talk briefly and quickly - only to the point. If the desire to chat with your interlocutor for an hour or two is simply unbearable, call from a landline phone.
Turn off your phone every day while you're on vacation.. We came home from work and turned it off. You have time to relax, have dinner with your family, watch a new comedy, football, finally. "And let the whole world wait!".
While on vacation, turn on your phone only in exceptional cases.
More often go to places where there is no “coverage area”. To the forest, to the mountains, to lakes, etc.
Don't use your phone to access the Internet– for communication purposes only.
Don't buy phones for small children. Do not deprive your children of childhood and the joy of communicating with the outside world. Teach children to real life and to real communication. Reading books rather than online blogs. Towards solving problems in the real world, rather than “shooting emoticons.”

Even if you have not found any symptoms of nomophobia, pay attention to the abundance of gadgets in your life and draw conclusions. Learn to listen and hear without them. And be healthy!

If you liked our article and have any thoughts on this matter, share with us! It is very important for us to know your opinion!

One day you suddenly realized that you spend more time on your favorite smartphone than on your closest friends or family? Telephone conversations and chat correspondence replaced live communication? Perhaps it's time to put the phone aside and think about real life.

Yes, comfortable and beautiful smartphones have become a real electronic miracle, allowing you to call from anywhere, instantly send photos you just took, and find answers to any questions you have on the Internet. This magical device helps you pass the time on the subway or in a traffic jam, and you don’t want to let it go even for a few minutes. You are completely lost in virtual world your smartphone, and reality began to become unsteady and ephemeral. It is worth understanding that a digital friend negatively affects your relationships with loved ones and work colleagues. The phone simply prevents you from focusing on the right subject and working effectively, distracting you with constant notifications.

What are the dangers of constantly using a smartphone?

Agree that the need to periodically contact relatives and friends by phone has turned into a habit of constantly communicating with the device itself. You play games on your smartphone, watch movies, and generally have fun as best you can to overcome boredom. However, spending such time with the phone leads to very unpleasant consequences, which are even confirmed by scientists.

1. Gradual withdrawal from real life.

Think back to when you woke up in the morning. The hand itself reaches for the smartphone to get the latest batch of messages and news. You immediately go to virtual reality and you cease to be aware of the surrounding reality. It is estimated that the average duration of use of a smartphone, tablet and computer is about 8 hours a day. Approximately 81% of the population does not turn off their phone at all. But every dive into digital world Using a smartphone distracts you from normal communication with loved ones and pushes your real life into the background.

2. Impaired ability for thoughtful and concentrated work.

A smartphone can really help you stay on top of your work process while moving around the city or while on a business trip. At the same time, the phone prevents our brain from focusing on the solution specific tasks. Receiving calls and messages distracts and dissipates attention. An attempt to dive into a production problem is neutralized by another notification. And the absence of your favorite smartphone in your hands creates a feeling of some kind of emptiness. No wonder studies have demonstrated interesting fact. The division of attention between tasks and the smartphone among smartphoneaholics has so profoundly altered the activity of their brains that even taking away their phones did not contribute to adequate concentration on the tasks at hand. There is an atrophy of the abilities for fruitful, concentrated work.

3. Decreased emotionality towards other people.

In fact, communication via telephone replaces ordinary, albeit not frequent meetings, with a kind of surrogate. Exchange short messages Via the phone is convenient, but we are conducting a dialogue via smartphone with emptiness. We cannot see the interlocutor. We stop experiencing real deep feelings when communicating at a distance. We do not recognize living people as interlocutors, getting used to talking with them remotely. Availability in hands digital phone distracts from confidential conversations with other people. Western countries have already fully grasped the problem of disunity and loneliness of their inhabitants, thanks to mass implementation computer equipment and smartphones.

4. Insomnia.

Research has shown that about 44% of men and women aged 18 to 24 years old cannot fall asleep without a phone near their pillow. And approximately 25% of people claim that they sleep worse due to constant use of smartphones. You shouldn’t put a switched-on smartphone next to you if you want to sleep properly. An unexpected text message on your phone will wake you up in the middle of the night. You will most likely receive some kind of spam, but many will start checking what interesting things came there. As a result, once again you won’t get enough sleep and will have to drink strong coffee all day again so as not to doze off at work.

How to get rid of phone addiction?

First, you need to really want to get rid of smartphone addiction. Is a digital friend really necessary if you can always meet with real and living friends and girlfriends? It’s fun and pleasant to chat without phones, giving vent to accumulated emotions. And your work colleagues will appreciate your desire to talk with them, and not sit with your head buried in your phone. Now is the time to get acquainted with expert advice on overcoming the addiction to smartphones.

1. Consciously spend time on your smartphone.

Just count once the time spent on smartphone calls, chatting, and checking messages on your phone in one day. Determine a reasonable limit and try to stick to the optimal time limit for a few weeks. In the future, such a rational procedure for using phone will come in into a habit.

2. Turn off all notifications on your phone.

Many smartphone applications persistently signal the arrival of various messages with vibration, light signals and music. The developed reflex forces your hands to reach for the phone and check the next batch of notifications.

Find the strength to turn off notification sounds on your phone. This simple solution will significantly reduce communication with your smartphone. Review your message list and email periodically to ensure you don't miss anything really important. And don’t worry, if you are urgently needed, they will definitely reach you.

3. Remove unnecessary applications.

Simplify your smartphone by removing all the apps you simply don't need. Of the several dozen phone applications imposed by manufacturers, about 10% can be truly useful. The main thing is to approach this issue as objectively as possible. After all, you want to get rid of addiction, not maintain it. Open the list of applications available on your phone and honestly answer the question: do I need this particular application for life and work? Then proceed depending on your answer. As a last resort, you can always reinstall the application on your smartphone if you consider it necessary.

We hope that our recommendations will help you return to normal real life without dependence on electronic gadgets. Use wisely the benefits that smartphones and computers provide us. After all, they rational use helps our successful development, promotes our professional career and often brightens up boring everyday life. The main thing is to observe moderation, do not give your soul to them.

The lives of many children are now almost entirely devoted to gadgets. If a smartphone (or tablet, laptop) appears in the family, then be prepared for the fact that the child will: eat, while simultaneously collecting crystals in the game; write you messages on social networks while in the next room; fall asleep with your phone in your hand, and so on.

Need to do something? But what? If you just take the phone away, there will be a scandal. We have already written about how to turn gadgets into useful leisure time. And this time we will figure out what “ phone addiction"and how to deal with it. The editors of the site studied this issue and collected the opinions of psychologists and parents on this matter.

ABOUT OTHER TYPES OF CHILDREN'S FANATISM

What do you advise?

In 2007, the Internet Development Foundation conducted a study of schoolchildren on the impact of the Internet on adolescents. And the data turned out to be frightening. The results indicate that 26% of our adolescents aged 11-16 years have signs of Internet addiction. And this is 10% more than the same figure in Europe.

The reasons are that our children are given technology much earlier. Psychologists do not recommend that children under 2 years of age interact with the phone at all, and then carefully and in measured quantities. But few people can follow these rules, especially if they urgently need to cook dinner and the child demands a toy.

But you can’t take a phone away from a child either, it will only get worse. First, you will become enemy number one and lose contact with your child. Secondly, gadgets are part modern life, which is difficult to ignore, and cannot be forgotten. By depriving your child of a phone, you are depriving him of the opportunity to communicate with peers.

AND THERE ARE CHILDREN VIDEO BLOGGERS

What should you do to keep your child on the phone all day long? Here are some tips from psychologists:

Limit the time you use your phone. Pediatricians recommend that children from 2 to 5 years old not be given a phone for more than an hour; for schoolchildren, the time can go up to 2 hours. And this is provided that your child does not run to the computer after using the phone.

Agree on “free zones”. For example, everyone can use a telephone in their room, but not a single family member with gadgets sits in the kitchen. The main thing is to follow this rule yourself.

Try to prove everything with your example. If your child is not allowed to be on the phone, do not sit in front of him and pick cabbage at Funny Farm. You are the main example for children.

Offer an alternative to spending time with a gadget. The phone does not give the child " real world", invite your son or daughter to do something that the phone cannot provide. This could be cooking, modeling, hiking, playing sports. Board games and construction sets are less suitable - this can be done on the Internet.

Don't be too strict with phones. There are many useful applications that a child can use for self-education and learning.

And once again: do not take the phone away from your child. This will only lead to aggression. You can only pick up at a short time, clearly spoken out loud. “I’m taking your phone, I’ll return it when we finish dinner/wash your hands/finish your homework/walk the dog, etc.”

Parents' opinion

Psychologists, of course, give good advice. But often difficult to implement. Therefore, parents get out as best they can, inventing their own ways to get their child out of the phone, at least for a while. But some people don’t do this because they don’t think it’s necessary.

Let's look at what situations arise in real families and how parents cope (or fail) with their children's dependence on gadgets. Here are the opinions of parents of children of different ages from thematic forums and groups on social networks:

Children 0−7

“I have a rule - the phone is “my toy,” my dear, which I use. There are no games on the phone. Cannot be installed. There are things that only adults should use. Talking to grandma on the phone is not a problem. I turn on songs when my daughter wants to dance. But don't play. So you don’t have to take it away.”

"I have three children. We found a way out of the situation: if we only give out one phone or tablet, then we play in turns according to the time limit. When we give everyone a phone call, we limit the time they play...usually a maximum of 40 minutes a day. They taught us that as soon as we said to give it away, we give it away!!! otherwise they won’t get any more later. (no exchanges or persuasion). The three-year-old sometimes struggles and tries to cause a scandal... the rest have already gotten used to it.”

“A telephone and a tablet and a computer and... are things that are relevant for a child only if: 1) his life is not rich in other interesting things; 2) he sees how this thing is a priority and important for people important to him. If you play together Board games, go for a walk (at least go to the nearest park, but with a thermos and cookies), sculpt a forest with animals out of plasticine, and make a big city out of Lego, then cooperative game on a phone/computer/tablet will be perceived as one of the activities.”

“Personally, I prefer non-electronic development devices, and in general, let fewer children near the computer/phone. With the little ones everything is working out so far, but the older ones already have their own phones and it’s becoming more and more difficult to control their time playing games on the phone. I talk, explain the harm to health, show illustrative examples behavior of computer-addicted children on the Internet and on TV, but sometimes you still have to just pick up your phones in the evenings so that you can fall asleep on time.”

“I have a question... why small child Do you even need a phone? I see a lot of 5-6 year olds with phones. For what? The child is constantly with adults, does not go out alone, does not go anywhere. Why does he need this gadget? A schoolboy is another matter. Meet you from school, tell them that classes ended earlier/later, and everyone there already has a phone; now it’s probably “not prestigious” to go to first grade without a phone. My oldest, five-year-old, also has a phone, it was given to him as a birthday gift from his mother-in-law. The child doesn’t actually play with it and doesn’t carry it around with him. He communicates only with his grandparents using it. He helped out my husband and I a couple of times when we forgot our phones somewhere and needed to make a call. It’s like a home device for us.”

Children 7−12

“It’s better to switch the child’s attention to some games, read a book, whatever.
My sister’s son will go to first grade and is already addicted to gadgets. Mom puts the phone under the pillow at night because her son is looking for it at night... she goes to visit friends just to play, but she no longer answers calls. (7 years!). And everything in the family contributed to them achieving what they wanted. grandparents allow it so as not to work with the child, as long as he sits quietly, the father himself plays the same games (an example for the child)
I still don’t hide my phone from my three-year-old, but I try to keep it out of his sight...”

“And the point of prohibiting, the forbidden fruit is always sweet, one day your child will become an adult, and you will not be able to control him. I believe that you can be allowed to play, but everything should be in moderation, and besides this, the child needs to instill an interest in other activities.”

“This is the forum I won’t come to - everywhere and everyone has the same problem - how to wean a child off a smartphone. The question immediately arises, why did you buy it? A child needs a phone for safety, that is, so that he can make calls. Always and everywhere, not how modern phones who stop catching people at the entrance.”

“I have an iPhone at my house, but I give it out ONLY during the holidays! And as soon as school starts, I exchange it for a Nokia for 1 thousand rubles))) no one has any grievances or complaints, by the way)).”

“I’m a bad mother in this regard. 22:00 iPhone and iPad on the table, daughter to sleep. If I get a bad grade, I will be deprived of these gadgets for a week, including hanging out with my friends on the street. I’ve been practicing this method for two years now and I can say that it’s very effective.”

Children 12+

“I never took the phone from my elder. he lives in it. It doesn’t interfere with my studies or anything. I believe that a modern teenager can be driven to suicide by such actions.”

“I don’t think it’s entirely correct to take away the smart phone completely, as many here advise. At 15 years old, a telephone is not a means of communication, but it is a certain criterion for assessment and self-esteem too. Limiting Internet time - yes, it is necessary. But I didn’t do this in a harsh way by tearing out wires, but I tried to come to an agreement with my daughter and determine a time frame.”

“I would take the phone away when the child is sleeping or simply can’t see (that is, I wouldn’t fight :))) But I definitely wouldn’t give the phone to school, since the words are not understood. I turn off the Internet for my 16-year-old big girl when she’s already abusing it too much, take the wire to work and forget:))) She’ll get angry, she’ll get angry, but she’s already made her conclusions :)).”

“It will pass with time. I, too, when I was 14 years old, didn’t let go of my phone, then everyone was on ICQ, but at home I couldn’t leave the computer - there were all sorts of diaries... My mother just had hysterics because of all this, but she and I didn’t have much a good relationship there were, she apparently understood that. And I didn’t have much of a group of friends at school. Then I went to university, and real life came to the fore..."

“Mine, about a year ago, was on my phone all the time. When I took him away for some reason, his reaction was approximately the same as when a drunk’s bottle is taken away from him - she was simply infuriated by everything. Now it’s much better, he texts less, but he’s already 15. When he was 12-13, he was constantly playing online games, then he just stopped one day. That’s why I take the phone calmly – it will pass.”