Parents are increasingly worried about their teenagers spending too much time on their cell phones. While it’s true that students spend time on their phones, and new technology on the rise, the question has to be asked – how much is too much? According to ABC News teens over 12 spend an average of seven hours and 22 minutes a day on their phones. This statistic is startling to many parents of teens and teachers alike. But how much is too much and is the average teen really spending too much time on their phone?

Yes

While there are some good reasons for students to be on their cellphones, it’s impossible to deny that they waste way too much time on them. Even teenagers themselves feel they spend an excessive amount of time on their phones. A study conducted by the Pew Research Center discovered that 54% of teens worry that they spend too much time on their cell phones. The hours spent accomplishing nothing on a cell phone could be used for extra study time, healthy face-to-face communication or exercise. It seems that a teenager always finds time to relax on their phone, imagine how productive they could be with all that extra time! It’s not that students should never relax on their phones, but perhaps they could benefit from limiting their screen time

No

While some adults will say teens are spending too much time on their cellphones, phones and computers have more uses than just wasting time on social media. Many teens use their devices for music, studying and reading as well as socializing online. As long as teens are turning in their assignments and doing their work in school, the use of phones shouldn’t be a problem. We hear so much about the negative effects of social media, but we don’t hear much about the positive. Social media can be used as a form of self expression and a place to share art, music and just about anything else. Teens can use social media as a positive outlet rather than a negative one. As for screen time, the number of hours does not always reflect on the time looking at a screen. For example, listening to music, schoolwork, or reading count towards screen time. All of these things are good positive tools for teens.