Addicted to Smartphones:

Harmful to relationships

and family dynamic

Smartphones History:

Smartphones have evolved from models as early as 1992

In July 2008, Apple launched the first iPhone capable of Wi-Ficonnection without a PC connection

Combined music, camera, photo album,email, GPS, and thousands of Apps into one handy gadget

(Smartphones, 2013)

Smartphone addiction is harmful to relationships, and is having a negative impact on the family dynamic.

A phone that was designed to improve communication abilities (ability to Face time, Skype, and instant message) has actually hindered the family dynamic and is hurting the users ability to effectively communicate in a face-to-face setting.

Apple is not the only contributor to the smartphone revolution. Blackberry, Samsung, and Android are all participants.

We have started to let our technology tools break down communication between the very people in which we share a room.

Rather than engaging in conversation with the individuals around you, time and energy is invested in checking messages, social media sites, and games.

I know what you’re thinking…is it REALLY that big of a problem to be constantly checking your phone?

Consumer Statistics: Is there a problem?

(Google Images, 2013)

Missing out on the excitement of Life

The following video, although humorous, portrays the reality of how reliant individuals have become with the smartphone technology, and their inability to absorb the world around them due to the constant distraction of the device.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jdpQir1sqiQ

Although the ending of the video clip is ironic, advertising a smartphone to save people from the other brands of smartphones, there is a lot of truth packed into that commercial.

Everywhere you go, people are isolating themselves from those around them to spend time in a virtual reality.

This isolation can lead to larger problems, including affecting performance at work, loss of friendships, unstable identity and problems within a marriage and home.

The "I-must-have-my-phone-with-me-at-all-times" mindset has become such a real problem, there's now a name coined for the fear of being without your phone:

Nomophobia…that rush of anxiety and fear when you realize you are disconnected- out of the loop with friends, family, work and the world (Archer, 2013, para. 8).

Watch the following clip from an ABC News broadcast. It highlights some of the signs and symptoms that you may be addicted to your smartphone.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RvFc7bcaBMk

Signs and Symptoms of an Addiction to Smartphones:

Do you have anxiety about going phone-less? Are you unable to turn your phone off? Do you worry about your battery running low? Are you constantly checking for new emails, texts, and

calls? Did you feel that? Your phone just vibrated, and you

felt it. Yet looking at the phone, you realize it's a false alarm. Phantom cellphone vibration syndrome is real, and it's a symptom of addiction.

(ABC15 Arizona, 2012)

Are you (or your children) failing in School? Poor grades can often be blamed on using the smartphone in classes. There are apps that block social media, which may help.

Do you use your phone in the bathroom?(ABC15 Arizona, 2012)

Asking yourself these questions will help you identify if you are too reliant on your smartphone.

Signs and Symptoms (Cont’d)…

The technology of a Smartphone allows for all of these functions in one location; which in theory is convenient. However, this creates a dependency on the device. Should the device not function properly, it will cause the individual who is dependant to display negative behaviours and anxiety, similar to the behaviours of withdrawal.

Experts say that Smartphone addiction is just like being addicted to drugs or alcohol, and it should be taken seriously (Small, 2009).

Structural-Functionalist Perspective

The functionalist perspective views the breakdown of the family as one of the primary social problems in the world today.

Smart Phone addiction is negatively affecting socializing young members, as well as the physical and emotional care for the family members of the addict.

“The structural-functionalist perspective views the family as a social institution that performs important functions for society, including reproducing new members, regulating sexual activity and procreation, socializing the young, and providing physical and emotional care for family members” (Mooney et al., 2013, p. 147)

How is this addiction affecting the family dynamic?http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OINa46HeWg8

• This video shows the emotional strain that an addiction to smartphones can cause to the dynamic between family members.

• When a family member chooses to focus excessive time and effort on their smartphone, it leaves the other members of that unit feeling neglected, physically and emotionally.

• This is critical, as social-functionalism dictates that children and young adults associate their self-worth with the interaction with other members of society

(family members especially).• According to expert psychologists, smart phone addiction is so damaging to relationships it is comparative to having an emotional affair (Archer, 2013).

Socializing the Young… “Some toddlers today are choosing their parents' smartphones or tablets over dolls

or Lego blocks, but some experts say too much screen time at a young age can lead to problems” (CBC News, 2013, para. 1).

A recently released report from Common Sense Media found that 38% of kids under age 2 have used tablets or smartphones (Krumboltz, 2013, para. 1).

Hilarie Cash, a technology addictions expert in Seattle, Wash., states that "The younger a person starts gaming the more vulnerable they are to a severe addiction“ (CBC News, 2013, para. 14)

This is because a young brain is highly impressionable.

When a child chooses video games over regular play,

that should be a red flag for parents, especially if the child

is under the age of 5.

The Smartphone is not a babysitter, and should not be used assuch.

How to balance socializing the young with technology…

Set family rules for screen time and get kids moving, through organized sports or free-time play.

They can also set a good example for their children by limiting their own use of technology.

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends that children under the age of 2 not spend any time in front of media screens, including phones, tablets and television .

"A child's brain develops rapidly during these first years, and young children learn best by interacting with people, not screens," the AAP writes (Krumboltz, 2013, para. 7).

Remember to put down the smartphone. Create memories with the people around you.

Not every single moment of your life needs to be captured for Facebook.

Show your friends and family how much you VALUE them by taking a break from your phone when spending time with them.

Most emails or text messages can wait.

How do we prevent the onset of addiction to smartphones?How do we break the addiction?

If the addiction has become extremely severe, there are now Rehab facilities that are popping up around the globe to aid in overcoming this addiction (Novotney, 2010).

There are many behavioural changes that can be made to ensure that you are not becoming too dependent or addicted to the technology of a smart phone.

The following slide highlights a few key behavioural changes that psychologist encourage implementing within the house and family to prevent the breakdown of communication and prevent the onset of addictive behaviours.

Create “Technology Free Zones”

As a family establish technology free zones, such as the dinner table. This behavioural change will create more unity among family members, and forces face-to-face communication between members.

A higher frequency of family dinners has been associated with more positive

values and a greater commitment to learning.

Adolescents from homes having fewer

family dinners were more likely to

exhibit high-risk behaviors, including

substance abuse, sexual activity, suicide

attempts, violence, and academic problems.

(Small, 2009)

Think about your family dynamic, and ask yourself:

Are smartphones bringing you closer or farther apart from your family members?

ReferencesABC15 Arizona. (2012, September 25). Cell phone addiction [YouTube]. Retrieved

from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RvFc7bcaBMkArcher, D. (2013, July 25). Smartphone addiction: Nomophobia- fear of being without your smartphone- affects 40% of the population. Psychology Today. Retrieved from http://www.apa.org/monitor/2010/11/media.aspxCBC News. (2013, April 2). Children vulnerable to smartphone, tablet addictions. Retrieved from http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/children-vulnerable-to-

smartphone-tablet-addictions-1.1335522CharstarleneTV. (2013, August 22). I forgot my phone [YouTube]. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OINa46HeWg8Google Images. Smartphone addiction. Retrieved from https://www.google.ca/search?q=smartphone+addiction&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=oIXUrzFJMLjoASO4KYAQ&sqi=2&ved=0CAcQ_AUoAQ&biw=1680&bih=928Krumboltz, M. (2013, October 28). Study: 38 percent of kids under 2 use smartphones or tablets. Yahoo News. Retrieved from http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/sideshow/38--of-kids-under-2-use-smartphones-or-tablets--study-212548190.html

References Cont’d…

Lam, Wendy. (2010, October 11). Microsoft Windows phone 7: Funny smartphone addicts commercial [YouTube]. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jdpQir1sqiQ

Mooney, L. A., Holmes, M., Knox, D., & Schacht, C. (2013). Understanding social problems (Custom ed.). Toronto, ON: Nelson Education Ltd.

Novotney, A. (2010, November). Surviving the media onslaught: Psychologists’ research is pointing to ways Americans can find balance between online and offline worlds. American Psychological Association, Vol 41(10), 32. Retrieved from http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/reading-between- the- headlines/201307/smartphone-addiction

Small, G. (2009, June 19). Is technology fracturing your family?: New technology affects our lives and our brains. Psychology Today. Retrieved from http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/reading- between-the-headlines/201307/smartphone-addiction

Smartphones. (2013). Retrieved November 28, 2013, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smartphone