Movies before the 21st century often imagined what life would be like after the year 2000. One detail that movie makers never imagined is the constant use of mobile devices. It seems that everyone has a smartphone. This even includes toddlers. Cell phones have become one of the primary forms of entertainment.

However, for some, the use of a smartphone goes beyond seeing it as an accessory or handy tool. It becomes something an adolescent can’t be away from for even a few moments. If you have an adolescent male who fits that description, he may be showing signs of smartphone addiction.

What is Smartphone Addiction?

Nomophobia, or fear of being without a mobile phone, is compulsive behavior fueled by the desire always to be online. An adolescent might fixate on specific games or social media applications. It is that connection to the online world that the brain craves.

Some impulse-control issues are signs of smartphone addiction. Info overload is when a person finds themselves compulsively surfing the web or watching videos. The behavior results in an inability to focus on school or other activities. A person may end up isolating themselves for long periods, engulfed in their actions.

Other smartphone addiction signs include excessive online shopping, exchanging adult material, or gambling. The expansion of gambling services, thanks to the Internet, makes it a more significant problem among adolescents.

How Can Parents Recognize a Smartphone Addiction?

Most adolescents showing signs of smartphone addiction have other underlying issues. They could be reacting to stress in their life. Some may be dealing with loneliness, anxiety, or depression. Smartphone addiction acts feels like a lifeline. It gives them a way out of what they are feeling.

While it may function as a security blanket, smartphone addiction typically exacerbates problems. An adolescent can draw further away from their support system. They lose the ability to engage in meaningful face-to-face interactions with parents or friends.

Parents of adolescents showing smartphone addiction signs may also see a worsening of attention deficit disorders. The constant stimulation from the stream of information coming from a smartphone overwhelms the mind. It reduces an individual’s ability to focus on anything for more than a moment or two.

Smartphone addiction can also lead to sleep disruption. Adolescents who do not get enough rest because they’re playing on their smartphones. They end up with less ability to focus and concentrate at school. Parents may start seeing their child’s grades start dropping.

Getting Professional Help

We can’t always measure smartphone addiction in the amount of time an adolescent spends on a device. Those who find themselves losing the ability to maintain face-to-face relationships or focus on tasks at school or home may have a severe problem. They end up at the point where they cannot correct the issue without professional help.

Foothills at Red Oak Recovery helps at their smartphone addiction treatment center in North Carolina. We help male adolescents between the ages of 14 and 17 focus on the root of their smartphone addiction. Our center develops treatment paths. We combine various treatment methods, such as:

• Cognitive-behavioral therapy to help recognize signs of dysfunctional patterns
• Treatment for depression and how to avoid using a smartphone as a security blanket
• Help with past trauma that could be the root cause of smartphone addiction
• Group therapy to listen to and receive feedback from other peers

Our team looks to understand what led to smartphone dependency. Many adolescents end up fascinated with social media applications. These could be reinforcing a negative self-image. They have never lived in a world not connected to the Internet, so they need help developing tools that allow them to disengage healthily.

Smartphone Addiction Assistance at Foothills at Red Oaks Recovery

Contact our smartphone addiction treatment center in North Carolina today at 866.300.5275. We can help if you see signs of smartphone addiction in your adolescent.