A Study to Assess The Excess Use of Smart Phone Among Adolescents (17-18 Years) with a View to Develop Information Pamphlet on Ill Effects of Smart Phone in a Selected College of Mysuru

Introduction

Adolescence (from Latin Adolescere, meaning to grow up) is a transitional stag of physical and psychological development that generally occurs during the period from puberty to legal adulthood adolescence usually associated with the teenage years, but its physical, psychological or cultural expression may became earlier and end later. Adolescent has been defined by WHO as the period of lifespan of the age between 10-19 years. It is formative period of life when maximum amount of physical, psychological and behavioural changes take place [1].

Smartphone are handled device combining advanced computing capability such as internet communication, information retrieval, video, e-commerce and other features, that makes the device is one of the necessities for many people “mass Smartphone mobilization” covered humanity probably ten or fifteen years ago. According to GSMA intelligence the number of mobile devices is 7.22 billion. Worldwide popularization of smart phone and a little knowledge about their side effects triggered author to start research on effects of Smartphone on human health and life. Merriam –Webster dictionary defines the Smartphone as “a cell phone that includes additional software function (as an e-mail or an a internet browser).” In this research the author implies the handled device that effects on human health and life. We all seem addicted to our smartphone and its little wonder [2].

There is no doubting the benefits of the Smartphones. Ease of communication, the anywhere, anytime contact – with friends, family and in theory at least the efficiency brought to busy lives. But every technological advance that provides such dramatic benefits has consequential costs too. Almost 9 out of 10 children in the India now have a Smartphone. While they can be beneficial in helping children stay in touch with worried parents, the health argument isn’t so clear- cut. Smartphones are psychologically addictive. Ill effects of excessive use of smart phone use include back problems, nerve damage, anxiety, depression, Stress, disrupted sleep, less attention span, social isolation, loss of central vision, exposure to radiation. Some children are so obsessed that they are unable to stay without the Smartphone. They constantly check for messages and become irritable if they have to be away from their phone for any period of time [3].

In current scenario the excess use of Smartphone globally increased in that India got first place. Today’s children are growing up in a radio-frequency environment that never existed in human history before. The radiation emitted by smart phones can have adverse effects on children. Children absorb more than 60% of the radiation into the brain than adults. Their brain’s thinner skin, tissues, and bones allow them to absorb the radiation twice than the grown-ups. Their developing nervous system makes them more vulnerable to this carcinogen. A 2008 study by Dr Gaby Badre found children who used their cell phones extensively experienced more sleep disruption, restlessness and fatigue than children who limited their cell phone usage. Too much screen time can result in digital eyestrain, which can include burning, itchy or tired eyes [4].

A study conducted in India in 2003 to investigate the extent of internet addiction in school children between the age group 16-18 years found that internet dependents delayed their work to spend time online, lost sleep due to late-night logons, and felt life would be boring without the internet. The hours spent on the internet by dependents were greater than those of the non-dependents. On the loneliness measure significant differences were found between the two groups, with the dependents scoring higher than the non-dependents. According to the survey done by Internet and Mobile Association of India (2005), in the 26 cities that covered 65,000 persons in 16,500 households, has shown 1.6 million school children use the internet for about

322 minutes a week and about 3.4 million college students use the internet about 433 minutes a week [5].

Hence from the personal experience the researchers found that the mobile addiction among adolescents is a leading cause of physical and psychological health problems, the researchers felt the need of assessing the excessive use of smart phone among adolescents.

Objectives

• To assess the excess use of smart phone among the adolescents.
• To find association between the excess use of smart phone among adolescents and their selected personal variables.
• To develop information pamphlet on ill effects of Smartphone among adolescents.

Hypothesis

H1: There will be significant association between excess use of smart phones and their selected personal variables.

Results

Section I- Description of selected personal variables.

n=60

SECTION II n=60

SECTION III - Findings related to association between excess use of Smartphone among adolescents and their selected personal variables.

Findings of the study revealed that, there is no significant association found between excess use of Smartphone and their selected personal variables. Hence it can be inferred that it is not influenced by their personal variables.

Conclusion

Cell phones had started out as a gadget for adults, but they have now become a necessary item for the entire family. At present, India has 391 million cell phone users. By the end of 2010, this figure is estimated to rise to 500 million. The health ministry says talking for too long on a cell phone seriously affect your health. Quoting a small-scale PGI Chandigarh study, health minister Ghulam Nabi Azad had said that sensory neural deafness could occur in 30% of people using mobile phones for more than two hours a day over a two-year period.