It's a stereotypical teenage problem that many parents will attest to, teenagers in the prime of their youth being glued to their mobile devices.
Now, a new UK study adds to growing concern that smartphone obsession could be harming adolescents' health.
Experts found teens who report a problematic relationship with their smartphones could be up to three times more likely to be anxious, depressed or suffer from insomnia.
About one in five older teenagers display 'problematic smartphone use'and many are crying out for help to cut down on their usage, experts from the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience at King's College Londonclaimed.
In fact almost half of teens who said they wereunhealthily preoccupied with their smartphones also reported that they had symptoms of anxiety and even more said they had symptoms of depression.
Around one in five older teenagers display 'problematic smartphone use' and many are crying out for help to cut down on their usage
But turning off notifications on certain apps, keeping smartphones out of the bedroom and limiting screen time by putting their smartphone on 'do not disturb' or 'airplane' mode, could be ways familiescurb excessive mobile phone use together, experts said.
Parents, whose children are getting their first smartphones, could also help by explaining the potential links of excessive use highlighted in the new study, researchers suggested.
Although many parentscolloquially refer to excessive smartphone use in their children as an 'addiction', academics said they chose not to use this phrase because it is a clinical term.
Instead, the dubbed the issue' problematic smartphone use' (PSU).
PSU is defined as 'subjective loss of control over use'. For example, being preoccupied and neglecting responsibilitiesor meaningful activities in favour of using the smartphone.
The new work involved two separate studies. The first, published in Acta Paediatrica, examined data on pupils aged 16 to 18 at five schools across London, the East Midlands and the south west of England.
Some 657 teenagers took part and 19 per cent were found to have PSU.
Of the 123 that reported PSU, some 43 per cent of this group reported that they had symptoms of anxiety. This compared to a quarter (25 per cent) of teens without PSU.
That means those who were deemed to have PSU were twice as likely to report symptoms of anxiety.
Meanwhile, some 56 per cent of teenagers with PSU reported symptoms of depression, compared to 29 per cent of the youngsters without PSU.
The data suggests younger people whor*ported a problematic relationship with their smartphones were three times more likely to report depressive symptoms compared to those who did not.
Teens who use their phone too much also found their sleep was interrupted, as 64 per cent with PSU were more likely to report symptoms on insomnia.
But some youngsters (31 per cent) who recognised they had a problem wanted help in cutting down their use.
Meanwhile the academics performed a second analysis, published in BMJ Mental Health, on a smaller group of teenagers— 62 pupils aged 13-16 from two London schools were tracked for a month.
This research team also found that an increase in PSU was linked to an rise in anxiety and depression.
Some 657 teenagers took part and 19 per cent were found to have PSU. Of the 123 that reported PSU, some 43 per cent reported that they had symptoms of anxiety. This compared to a quarter (25 per cent) of teens without PSU
Study authors found themost popular strategies among youngsters for curbing smartphone use included putting their phone on silent; turning off notifications; using the do not disturb and airplane functions and leaving their phone in another room at bedtime.
But restricting teens to specific apps; using a locked box during revision and turning on 'greyscale' to remove colours from the screen, were the least effective strategies.
Dr Nicola Kalk, senior author on both studies, admitted there are limitations to the data, but said it does suggest there is growing evidence that for some teenagers excessive smartphone use is starting to look like an 'addiction'.
'If I had a teenager who had just acquired her first smartphone, the conversation might go something like: "There is some evidence that some teenagers start getting a bit addicted to their phones, and if this happens it can really increase their anxiety and make and make them feel quite depressed",' she said
She continued: '"You're having this new bit of tech, shall we discuss limits around it and ways you can stop that developing? Or if it does develop, limit your use".'
Teens who use their phone too much also found their sleep was interrupted, as 64 per cent with PSU were more likely to report symptoms on insomnia. But some youngsters (31 per cent) who recognised they had a problem wanted help in cutting down their use
Professor Ben Carter, another author of the study, added: 'A consistent amount (of teenagers) were found to have PSU – it's not everyone, it's the minority.
'And in that minority, the increased odds of having anxiety and depression were quite large. It was double in anxiety, three times in depression.
'Those with PSU are five times more likely want help and support to cut down so they are recognizing they are struggling, and they are asking for help to do something about it.'
Dr Kalk confessed smartphones are 'fun and useful', but as an addictionpsychiatrist she explains 'some human beings get into trouble with things that are fun and we need to help them'.
She suggests parents provide support by providing different activities or 'practical solutions' like buying an alarm clock so the phone does not need to be kept in the bedroom at night.
She also added that 'tackling the issue as a family endeavour' may help.
She said: 'I would be very open to the teenager calling me out on my smartphone use and wanting it to be a shared or family endeavour.'
'If the the family can develop a culture of of of limits around smartphone use, that's going to be more effective than telling the teenager that they need to do something different from everyone else,' she added.
Professor Carter said: 'As a family, you could take the notifications off number of these devices, and as a family, you could collectively, keep your devices out of the bedroom.'
