Young adults and screen time

[energybill]

Is it normal to spend EVERY waking minute on phone? I feel really concerned for DD (age 20) as that's all she does. Other than bathroom or eating that's literally all she does at home. Not an exaggeration. She has friends and sometimes goes out, but on a day to day basis there's nothing else but the phone. No other interests and will only put down phone to sort room out once it has got to a state where she can't ignore it anymore. Doesn't seem depressed, and no concerns about studies etc in term time (at uni). But for example if it's the weekend and she's home that's all she'll do for days on end. If she's awake for 12 hours then 11 of them (at a minimum) would be on phone. She'll only be downstairs or spend time with the rest of the family if there's entertainment laid out for her (spending ££ going out for a meal or holiday). As soon as that's over she's back in her room on phone

(Posted on adult children but no response)

I don’t know about all children/young adults, but I do find mine is on it most of the time she is at home and I find it extremely depressing. That said when I am at the bus stop or lunchtime at work most adults are scrolling through them. I think the invention of the phone has when weighed up been an extremely bad thing.

I think phones just cause people to procrastinate and stops them actually doing anything else. Mine has now got a holiday job and I love the fact she is doing something other than phone scrolling. She has interests and does do those presumably without a phone in hand. Think maybe they just find parents boring! I do find it rude in all honesty that whenever we try to have family time and watch a movie within 20 mins the phone comes out. Hoping they grow out of it…..

Phones are horribly addictive snd i think as a society we have totally fucked up young adults and teenagers by letting them have unrestricted use at young ages.

So...she is too old to tell off ..but sounds like she needs an intervention.

Can you take her for lunch and juat calmly say you are worried about the fact she is spending most of her waking hours on her phone ?

As an adult i know some days i get in a bad state of just staring at my phone constantly. Look around on a tube carriage...faces all down staring at the screens.

Its obviously not good for her but in the end all you can do is try to get her to see what a waste of her life it is

Thank you for replies. I agree, phones have really damaged concentration and family/social life for young people. I know people have always said that, about other things like TV too, but nobody carried a TV around and was glued to it 24/7.

I get it, even as a fully grown mature adult I can't resist the allure of mindless scrolling sometimes. But I'm so worried about how she's doing this all the time. I will have a talk and see if that works. Unlikely, but I can try. She'll just go to uni next month and continue doing it

Awful and I agree. I do it too. Though at least have a job to distract. We've been made into cyborgs. And I was very controlling with screen time for years - all it did was make arguments- though now ds says he thinks I was right. Could you either reflect with her on your own overuse, or talk about it as if it's someone else you're criticising?