Quarter of young people 'seriously dependant' on their smartphone

A new study has been looking into young people's relationships with their smartphones.

The researchers, from King's College London, found that almost a quarter (23%) were seriously dependant on their phone, and if they couldn't use it they became 'panicky' or 'upset'.

The study also discovered that the young people found it very hard to control how much time they spent on their phones.

The researchers say this kind of behaviour is similar to that of addiction.

They worry this 'addiction' could have "serious consequences" to young people's mental health, such as stress, a depressed mood, lack of sleep and not trying in school.

One of the report's authors Dr Nicola Kalk said there needs to be a greater understanding into smartphone addiction.

She said: "We don't know whether it is the smartphone itself that can be addictive or the apps that people use."

Amy Orben, a research fellow at the MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit at the University of Cambridge, has warned that we should be careful about making casual connections between smartphone use and mental health without further research.

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