Concern over teenagers being addicted to their phones has caused concern among parents, educators and society in general, over worries that the result could affect not only social aspects of their lives as they grow up but even their brains as they develop.

   Teens spend an average of over seven hours on their phones every day, according to a report by ABC News. That is about 106 full days per year that teenagers spend on their phones.

   Americans also check their phones on average 96 times per day, which is once every 10 minutes. People in the 18 to 24 age range check their phone twice as much, once every five minutes, according to a research study done by the global tech care company Asurion (prnewswire.com).

   Webster’s Dictionary defines the word addicted as “…exhibiting a compulsive, chronic, physiological or psychological need for a habit-forming substance, behavior, or activity” (merriam-webster.com).

    According to Technology Ethicist Tristan Harris, former designer at Google, there is even a full team of engineers fighting to keep the user scrolling and on their phone to make more money for advertisers. “Everytime you see it there on the counter and just look at it. And you know if you reach over, it just might have something for you. So you play that slot machine to see what you got. That’s not by accident. That’s a design technique,” Harris said in the Netflix documentary The Social Dilemma.

   Former Reddit Software Designer Aza Raskin also stated on The Social Dilemma that he had to rewrite code in the Reddit software to break his own addiction. 

   “It’s the first thing I do when I get up and the last thing I do right before I fall asleep. I know it’s not good but once I open TikTok I often find myself mindlessly scrolling and then boom, twenty minutes are gone. It’s like I’m in my own little world, and I imagine I’m not alone,” said Senior Makaili Clark. 

   According to a study on adolescent brain cognitive development, “increased screen time, including time spent on cell phones, is not just bad for the brain but can affect a child’s psychology, thinking patterns, sleep cycles, and behavior, shortening their attention span and potentially encouraging violent or aggressive behavior” (medicinenet.com).

   Seniors Armando Castillo and Orin Gentner both deleted social media for over two months after watching The Social Dilemma. “I would catch myself after I deleted Instagram and Snapchat subconsciously going back and clicking where Snapchat and Instagram used to be on my phone,” Castillo said. “It was pretty crazy and freaked me out a bit.” Gentner shared the same story, calling getting on his phone in the morning “instinctive.” 

   Gentner himself kept social media apps off his phone and says that has helped him curb his screen time and phone dependency. “Honestly everyone should delete [social media]. My life is not bad without it and you will have so much more free time,” he said.