Survey: mobiles affect studies

A FOURTH of youngsters use smartphones for at least five hours each day, affecting their rest and academic performance, a survey has found.

The Anti-Pornographic and Violence Media Campaign (關注傳媒對青少年影響聯席) interviewed 992 youngsters aged 11 to 20 and found 32 percent said they use their phones three to four hours on a school day, while 24.6 percent said they use it for at least five hours.

Only 25.6 percent said they can “completely” control the time they use their devices, while 42.3 percent said they “occasionally”, “sometimes” or even “totally” fail to limit the time. Some 78 percent said their smartphone usage affects their rest, while 72.6 percent agreed it affects their academic results.

One Secondary Five student said he would sometimes argue with his parents over the use of his phone as they accused him of playing video games, when he was actually searching information for academic purposes.

The group encourages parents to set a good example by not using mobile phones for long periods at home, setting rules on using phones with their children, and helping them explore their other interests.

Federation of Parent-Teacher Associations of Hong Kong Eastern District chairman Raymond Jao Ming suggested parents to ask their children what they are doing with their phones in a casual manner instead of questioning them or directly accusing them.

An outreach social worker said most teenagers only read news on social media platforms, restricting their understanding of social issues.

(This article is published on Junior Standard on 7 April 2017)

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