GLORIETTA. WHILE CHILDREN AND TEENS ARE SPENDING MORE TIME THAN EVER ON CELL PHONES, VIDEO GAMES AND SOCIAL MEDIA, EXPERTS SAY THE PROBLEM ISN’T SIMPLY JUST THAT SCREEN TIME, BUT ALSO THE ADDICTION WHICH CAN FOLLOW. HERE’S KOAT MEDICAL EXPERT DOCTOR BARRY RAMO. YOU MIGHT BE SURPRISED TO KNOW THAT SOME CHILDREN BECOME ADDICTED TO THEIR SMARTPHONES. THEY CAN’T CUT BACK. THEY BECOME ANXIOUS. IF YOU TAKE THE PHONE AWAY FROM THEM AND THEY FEEL THAT THEY HAVE TO HAVE IT, INSTEAD OF HAVING FRIENDS. A RECENT REPORT IN THE JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION FOLLOWED CHILDREN FROM AGE NINE AND TEN TO AGE 14, AND THEY FOUND THAT THOSE WITH PROBLEMATIC SMARTPHONE USE OR SMARTPHONE ADDICTION HAD A HIGHER INCIDENCE OF ANXIETY, DEPRESSION, AND EVEN HAD SUICIDAL THOUGHTS. THIS STUDY SHOULD BE A WARNING FOR EVERY PARENT THAT THE POTENTIAL FOR SMARTPHONE ADDICTION EXISTS, AND IT HAS SERIOUS CONSEQUENCES. SO WHEN YOUR CHILD STARTS USING A PHONE, MAKE SURE THAT YOU LIMIT THE AMOUNT OF TIME THAT THEY HAVE AND BE AWARE OF THE SYMPTOMS OF SMARTPHONE ADDICTION. FOR HEALTHBEAT, I’M DOC
Cellphone addiction is a serious issue for young people
KOAT health expert Dr. Barry Ramo said parents need to recognize the symptoms
Updated: 4:44 AM MDT Sep 23, 2025
From the very young to the very old, people are dependent on cellphones for almost every aspect of life these days.But for children in elementary school and their teens, an obsession with their smartphones can show all the markings of an addiction. That’s because it is, says KOAT health expert Dr. Barry Ramo.”They can’t cut back. They become anxious if you take the phone away from them, and they feel they have to have it instead of having friends,” Ramo said. According to a recent report in the Journal of the American Medical Association, many children from ages 9 to 14 who displayed problematic cellphone use or smartphone addiction also had anxiety, depression, and even suicidal thoughts, Ramo said.”This study should be a warning for every parent that the potential for cellphone addiction exists and it has serious consequences,” Ramo said. “So when your child starts using a phone, make sure that you limit the time they have, and be aware of the symptoms of cellphone addiction.”
From the very young to the very old, people are dependent on cellphones for almost every aspect of life these days.
But for children in elementary school and their teens, an obsession with their smartphones can show all the markings of an addiction. That’s because it is, says KOAT health expert Dr. Barry Ramo.
“They can’t cut back. They become anxious if you take the phone away from them, and they feel they have to have it instead of having friends,” Ramo said.
According to a recent report in the Journal of the American Medical Association, many children from ages 9 to 14 who displayed problematic cellphone use or smartphone addiction also had anxiety, depression, and even suicidal thoughts, Ramo said.
“This study should be a warning for every parent that the potential for cellphone addiction exists and it has serious consequences,” Ramo said. “So when your child starts using a phone, make sure that you limit the time they have, and be aware of the symptoms of cellphone addiction.”