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Most Teens Worry They Spent Too Much Time on Their Phones

The Pew Research Center finds that 54 percent of teens ages 13 through 17 worry they spend too much time on their mobile phones; 52 percent have already cut back.

 & Angela Moscaritolo Managing Editor, Consumer Electronics

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Teens appear to be similarly worried about smartphone addiction as adults, a new Pew Research Center survey finds.

Around half (54 percent) of teens ages 13 through 17 worry they spend too much time on their mobile phones, while around 52 percent of the 743 US teens polled by Pew in March and April have already taken steps to cut back on their phone use.

Teens phone addiction Pew"As they look at their own lives and those of their peers, most teens see things that worry them," Pew Research Analyst Jingjing Jiang wrote in the report. "Roughly nine-in-ten teens view spending too much time online as a problem facing people their age, including 60 percent who say it is a major problem."

Forty-four percent of teens said they "often" check their phone as soon as they wake up, Pew found. Some 57 percent "often" or "sometimes" feel like they need to respond to messages from other people immediately.

The report also found that "teens encounter a range of emotions when they do not have their cellphones, but anxiety tops the list." Forty-two percent of teens feel anxious when they are phoneless while 25 percent feel lonely and 24 percent feel upset. Girls are more likely than boys to feel anxious or lonely without their phone.

A separate survey released in February by the nonprofit Common Sense and SurveyMonkey found that 47 percent of parents feel their child is addicted to their mobile device. Thirty-two percent of those parents said the same about themselves.

Tech companies are starting to take this issue more seriously. Apple's iOS 12, available now in beta and slated for general release this fall, includes an app called Screen Time, which is designed to help you keep track of and control device and app usage. Google is developing a similar feature for Android, and Facebook recently introduced tools that can help you curb your addiction to its platforms.

About Our Expert

Angela Moscaritolo

Angela Moscaritolo

Managing Editor, Consumer Electronics

My Experience

I'm PCMag's managing editor for consumer electronics, overseeing an experienced team of analysts covering smart home, home entertainment, wearables, fitness and health tech, and various other product categories. I have been with PCMag for more than 10 years, and in that time have written more than 6,000 articles and reviews for the site. I previously served as an analyst focused on smart home and wearable devices, and before that I was a reporter covering consumer tech news. I'm also a yoga instructor, and have been actively teaching group and private classes for nearly a decade. 

Prior to joining PCMag, I was a reporter for SC Magazine, focusing on hackers and computer security. I earned a BS in journalism from West Virginia University, and started my career writing for newspapers in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia.

The Technology I Use

My little Florida beach bungalow is brimming with smart home tech. I have a smart speaker or display in every room, allowing me to control other connected devices by voice. The Nest Hub on my bedside table lets me set wake-up alarms, control my smart light bulbs, and set the temperature on my smart thermostat. I use the Amazon Echo Show 8 on my kitchen counter to browse recipes, reorder protein powder, check the weather, and watch the news while I do dishes. 

Because I suffer from allergies, air purifiers are essential. My favorite model is the Dyson Purifier Cool TP07, which doubles as a fan and continuously sends indoor pollution data to its companion mobile app. 

My pitbull Bradley sheds, so a good robot vacuum is a must. I currently use a premium Ecovacs Deebot that can both vacuum and mop, empty its own dustbin, and wash its own mop cloth. 

For fitness, I like to mix up my routine with cycling, indoor rowing, running, and strength training in addition to yoga. I take classes on the Tonal 2 smart strength training machine, I row indoors on an Aviron machine, and track my beach runs with an Apple Watch while listening to music on my Apple AirPods Pro. On the weekends, I love riding e-bikes like the rugged, beach-friendly Aventon Aventure for fun and fitness.

My job involves a lot of virtual meetings, so a quality webcam, microphone, and ring light are important. I use the Jabra PanaCast 20 webcam, the Elgato Wave: 3 microphone, and a Yesker tripod ring light. 

As for my preferred phone platform, I'm an iPhone person, but I've also extensively used Android for product testing.

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