Teens divided on smartphones: peace, also anxiety reported as smartphone separation side-effects

As technology infiltrates more and more of our daily lives, it's inevitable that the ways we think about and interact with it are going to change, but a perhaps somewhat counterintuitive — at least if you believe all teenage-smartphone-junky stereotypes — is emerging.

According to a new survey conducted by Pew Research, which sampled 1,453 U.S. teens ages 13 to 17, as many as 74% and 72% of US teens report feeling happy and peaceful, respectively, when separated from their smartphones. Despite this, 44% of the respondents claimed to feel a sense of anxiety when separated from their phones.

Given that the same sample was surveyed for both questions, there seems to be a somewhat toxic relationship between teens and their smartphones. At the same time, though, they recognise that the devices can be good for certain activities, with 70% of the respondents stating that smartphones offer more benefits than harm. Most also say that smartphones make it easier for people their age to pursue hobbies and interests and creative, while a surprising number (42%) say that smartphones make it harder to learn good social skills.

It's clear, in this survey at least, that teens are quite self-aware and aware of the potential unhealthy behaviours that smartphone usage can foster. This survey comes mere weeks after the UK government announced a plan to ban mobile phone use at schools, citing concerns from parents over screen time as well as from the likes of Unesco over school performance issues related to smartphone use during school.

At the same time, it seems as though every week we see new apps and tools, like Minimalist Phone and Android's Digital Wellbeing pop up in an attempt to curb rampant smartphone usage. Amazon even has devices, like this timed smartphone lock box, which somewhat comically aim to limit screen time by physical means.