Uses of Mobile Phones in Adolescents: By Umair Amjad Kayani

Nowadays, the use of mobile phones is increasing in society. There is no doubt that the digital revolution and rapid development in the use of telecommunication technology has made life a lot easier. But it also poses many health risks, especially for children and adolescents. Mobile phone has become an essential part of human life. According to a statistic, the number of internet users is 5.03 billion, which is 63.15% of the total population of the world; along with the health problems related to excessive use of mobile phones have also increased. Especially for children and adolescents who suffered from psychological, medical and structural problems.

Dr. Afzal of the Department of Psychology says that excessive use of mobile phones is destroying the love between children and parents. Apart from this, they are also giving rise to emotional and cognitive problems. Children under the age of five who use mobile phones and smart phones for cartoons and other games have been found to be less attentive to their mothers and fathers. Children mostly play games due to which children suffer from anxiety, frustration, stress and depression. Sleep disturbances are also among their symptoms. As technology advances, so does the use of mobile phones by Internet users. Despite being a developing country, the number of mobile users in Pakistan is 88.34% in 2022 and this rate is increasing by 5% every day. Similarly, after the expansion of 3G and 4G services in South Waziristan, the number of broadband users has reached 42.55%. Excessive use of mobile phones affects the mental and physical health of children at home, which has led to anxiety, anger and other diseases in our children. We should ban excessive use of mobile phones by children so that the child can participate in his studies and various activities and also avoid various diseases.

If we talk at the college and university level, there too we see wrong and wasteful use of mobile. Not only young boys but also girls use mobile all day which not only wastes their time but also affects their mental health. Nowadays, a very popular video game PubG is played by young boys and girls, which can make a person psychologically ill, and a practical example was also seen. Not long ago there was a heart-wrenching incident in a city in Pakistan where a young boy shot his parents and while the investigation was being told the same thing over and over again, “They will just get up. Nothing happened to them.” On asking the people around and his friends, it was found that he used to play PubG and had completed many levels of the game. A check-up by a psychiatrist proved that the young man was mentally ill and due to playing too many games, he did not realize the difference between the game and reality and shot his parents.

This incident shows us how dangerous playing video games on mobile phones can be. The government should ban such video games and fine or punish violators or both to avoid such accidents. Wise young boys and girls should focus on grooming their future instead of wasting time on mobile phones and take part in healthy activities in free time and parents should also keep a close eye on their children’s activities.

Photo by Pablo Toledo on Unsplash