Journal de psychologie légale

Abstrait

Cell Phone Addiction and the Link to Depression in Adolescents and Adults

Clairmont G and Bernice LF

The cell phone market is growing on a daily basis as the demand increases globally. However, the availability of the internet has been a major driver for the demand as people use it to access vital information and communicate through social media platforms. The development has enjoyed its proportionate share or destructions as both adolescents and adults are addicted to using the gadgets. It is evident that the number of people using phones is increasing, and this could be disastrous if the right measures are not taken early. As a result, some people have to gamble with their health at the expense of lengthy time on the phone and lack time to interact. It is evident that people addicted to cellphone usage are likely to use most of their time sleeping or sitting. Lack of adequate exercise or poor posters contributes to health issues such as obesity, back pain, or heart diseases. Exposure to the excessive light emitted by phone screens can affect the users’ visual ability. There is adequate literature on this topic, and at least six peer-reviewed journals were used to get results and discussions. The results revealed there were high chances of depression for cell phone addicts. Cases of antisocial behaviors have been noted in some people addicted to the phone use, as they prefer utilizing much time on a phone instead of interacting with close friend and family. The incidence of some adolescents being misled by information got from the internet is increasing. A case in point was the infamous ‘blue whale challenge’ that misled some adolescents to the extent of committing suicide. In other cases, the reasoning ability is affected because some people use a phone for a long time and they do not have time for adequate sleep. Consequently, they are likely to be exposed to stress and depression since their brains fail to concentrate or function properly. In case of students, they will end up failing in school and have psychological issues that can lead to depression. As a result, further studies should be conducted to determine the most appropriate preventive measures.