Experts have raised alarm over the adverse health impacts of the growing addictive use of smartphones and the internet among Nigerian youth.
They linked what they called obsessive use of the technology to depression disorders and several other mental health issues.
In a chat with Orange FM, they called on parents, schools, and government to monitor early use of smartphones among teens.
The misuse of the smartphones these days is something that calls for immediate remedy.
This is because, these days, even the little children are exposed to the use of a smart phones right from a very tender age and smart phones make the internet, where different obscenities are, more accessible.
The negative effects of the social media is directed at the youths because, according to a source, of all adult cell phone users, those between 18 and 29 are most likely to have a mobile internet device and around 99% of them have any kind of cell phone and 96% use specifically a smart phone.
Though the importance of smart phones in the society cannot be overemphasized, it’s negative effect on the society cannot also go unmentioned.
Although, Public Analysts observed that this trend, which they describe as addiction, has some consequences for the users some say it is a normal occurrence to move on with global information development.
A University Don, Professor Busuyi Mekusi, emphasized on the usefulness of smart phone highlighting it as a creative instrument that enhances youths access to information and relation with the global community.
He advised guardians to keep close tabs on their teen wards so as to know when they fall into one form of addiction or the other.
Meanwhile, a Counselor, Mr Kayode Oladipupo said, students addiction with their phones can cause mental health challenges which may results in inability to think well, low academic performances and erase reading culture.
He however, recommends that reading culture should be reintroduced amongst young people and advised every victims of phone addiction to seek for counsel and support from counselor.
Some students revealed their level of addiction to their smartphones especially for instant access to information and social media connections but also frowned at its negative impact.
They expressed the hope that a road map for advancing youth health would be achieved sooner than expected.