Navigating the Digital Dilemma: Internet and Smartphone Addiction among Children and Adolescents

This review discusses an evaluation of the problems of internet and smartphone addiction of children and teens, probing self-regulation issues linked to the rapid increase in the use of digital devices. Information was sourced through a literature review conducted on multiple databases, including PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science and PsycINFO. The review has also presented a cross-country comparison of the addiction rates to focus on unattended forms of addictive behaviour, with special reference to social media and gaming addiction. The report makes a further distinction by outlining the use of online gaming among boys and mobile phones for socialisation among girls as an indicator of gender-based patterns of addiction. These phenomena, when further interrogated, show a set of factors ranging from the availability of technology, lack of parental guidance, cultural setting, issues with emotional self-regulation and most relevant, addiction-related issues and mental health problems. Their negative manifestations were psychological in nature, mostly depression and anxiety, as well as physical in nature, including sleep disorders and other ergonomic illnesses. The treatment strategies listed in the document include less active forms, such as psychological manipulation and counselling, and more active forms such as engaging in sports, practicing digital disconnection, meditation and other mindfulness-based activities together with parents. Moreover, by prioritising education, awareness and community involvement, we can mitigate the adverse effects of digital addiction can be mitigated to promote healthier technology use among young people.