The Pediatrics Association in Spain has warned from the growing addiction to smartphones among young students.
These cases, although relatively new, are very serious, because mobile addiction that starts at an early age may lead to poor academic performance, skipping class, sleep disturbances, and in more serious cases, to mental problems that leads to suicide.
Dr. Fernando Garcia Sala, president of the Pediatric Association, warned that children’s addiction on mobile phones makes them prone to obesity, and eventually more prone to heart disease, diabetes and high blood pressure.
"Complex mental illnesses among young people are growing, so a cooperation between psychiatrists and specialists is highly required to address them," he added.
He stressed the need to solve addiction problems before they become severe.
He saw that school and the family must play an important role in this matter, by limiting mobile phones usage since childhood, before children become a hard-to-cure addict.
"You can’t stop your son from using his mobile phone when he is 15 years old, obviously because you have allowed him to use it since he was nine years old."
He advised parents to spend more family time with their children and to provide a quiet atmosphere before bedtime for them to avoid sleep disturbances. Children must be completely relaxed when they go to bed.
