Excessive mobile phone and internet use provokes a third of paediatrician appointments

With 97% of teens aged 15 to 18 owning a mobile phone and over 90% being regular internet users, the potential for troubles ranging from addiction to repetitive strain, backache, headaches and eye problems, among others, is very high – and technology-savvy kids are getting younger all the time.

The Spanish Social Paediatrics Society says 40% of children and teenagers had accessed photos or videos of a sexual nature online, and 20% had shared images of other people they knew without their permission.

Parents are becoming more and more likely to seek medical advice, or at least be very worried about, their children's possible mobile phone and internet addiction, but kids and teens themselves appear to have 'little or no motivation' to moderate their own behaviour in this area.

The Society carried out a survey over the last academic year, and has now produced a report after fully analysing the data.

It warns technology abuse and addiction is on the rise, and can lead to distressing and life-limiting side-effects.

Those affected will typically spend more and more time using their mobile phones or surfing the net; have no willpower if they try to cut down, and suffer either agitation or feelings of deep sadness – sometimes both at once – when they attempt to control their own mobile and net use.

This can lead to clinical depression, says the Society's chairman Jesús García.

Child psychologist José Molina says addiction can manifest itself as the patient breaking out in a sweat if deprived of his or her mobile, as well as the heart rate rocketing.

Addicts are usually sleep-deprived and have little or no relationship with their family or peers, suffer withdrawal symptoms or panic if they are without their mobile phones, and have to spend more and more time on them to feel satisfied.

Dr Molina refers to a phenomenon known as 'vamping' – from 'vampire' – in which youngsters are in their bedrooms at night with the lights out but with their mobile phones in constant use, barely sleeping, getting up quickly to go to school, eat badly, and display poor performance at school.

Headaches and migraines, fatigue, eyesight problems or eye pain, and obesity are among the collateral damage caused by mobile phone addiction.

The Social Paediatrics Society defines six months of extreme or excessive use coupled with an apparent inability to stop as 'technology abuse', but if the situation goes on for a year or more, the phone-user is considered an addict.

Numerous factors will determine whether or not a child becomes addicted, says Dr Molina, including the youngster's own personality, including how impulsive or otherwise he or she is; social and cultural factors – such as the way a mobile phone is practically an additional limb in western society from earliest childhood nowadays, as well as the child's friend circle or lack of, hobbies or lack of, and family structure and relationships.

Dr Molina stresses the importance of families, schools and professionals in psychology, psychiatry and paediatrics working together on anti-addiction techniques and on explaining to children about the advantages and disadvantages of new technology.

An holistic approach is needed, with a view to prevention, rather than mere punishment or confiscation of the phone or computer, Dr Molina argues.