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Calls for parents to intervene over Kiwi teens smart phone addiction

Author
Newstalk ZB,
Publish Date
Mon, 20 Jan 2020, 11:30AM
The study found teens are struggling to sleep. (Photo / Getty)

Calls for parents to intervene over Kiwi teens smart phone addiction

Author
Newstalk ZB,
Publish Date
Mon, 20 Jan 2020, 11:30AM

Kiwi teens are suffering as a result of the smart phone boom.

A Netsafe study of 14 to 17-year-olds claims a quarter of teens' school results have dropped, as a result of increased internet usage.

A third say they've gone without eating or sleeping.

Netsafe chief executive Martin Cocker told Mike Hosking the study isn't all bad news.

"Parents say often 'my kids won't get off their phones, they don't realise it's affecting them', but the truth is that many young people recognise themselves, which creates an opportunity for us to talk to them about how they
could manage that."

Nearly half also report having had conflict with family or friends over their time online.

Cocker says teens struggle to self-moderate technology, and that requires parental involvement.

"The things that they're doing are just too interesting and too distracting, and so as the parent You have to intervene.

"And that's the keen message in all of this. It's great that young people are prepared to talk about this quite openly, but you are going to have to directly manage it."

 

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