Update From the Mobile Phone Policy Review Group
Further research from the Mobile Phone Policy Review group has unearthed more interesting perspectives on the impact of Smartphones on young people. The Policy group’s work is now complete, and the new Student Mobile Device Policy will be announced shortly.
Coping with Uncertainty
With SmartPhone owners interacting with their phones an average of 85 times a day (Perlow 2012; Andrews et al. 2015; dscout 2016), researchers have found that the result of ‘having all of the answers’ in our pockets, has led to a decline in people’s ability to cope with uncertainty, which in turn, impacts on our resilience.
See, The Intolerance of Uncertainty (Macquarie University research, Department of Psychology, Centre for Emotional Health):
The Failure of Industry Self Regulation
Article from the Royal College of Psychiatrists, UK, suggesting that Social media companies must be regulated to stop them from damaging young people's mental health. The article argues that self-regulation by the industry is not working and children are being exposed to harmful online environments
Screen Habits of Australian Children
The Royal Children’s Hospital “Screen Time” poll shows that the majority of Australian children, across all age groups, are exceeding the current national recommended guidelines for screen time. One of the most significant findings that directly affected children’s health was the impact of screen use at bedtime on sleep.
https://www.rchpoll.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/ACHP-Poll7_Detailed-Report-June21.pdf
The Australian Department of Health “Physical Activity and Sedentary Behaviour Guidelines” suggest that teenagers spend the most amount of time on a screen-based device at home, of any age group, at almost 44 hours on average per week.
Questions or feedback for the Mobile Phone Review Group may be directed to:
mobilephones@girton.vic.edu.au