Smartphone Addiction is Real - Here's How to Take Charge

MIAMI, Feb. 28, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Smartphone addiction has become a real concern for parents. STAPP, the new parental control app, invites parents to stop their teens' smartphone addiction starting on March 9^th, the official National Day of Unplugging.

Modern Parenting Challenges

It's all over the news: teens (and many adults) are addicted to their smartphones. People have become so dependent on smartphones, they can barely do anything without them. Parents give their kids phones so they can stay connected and be entertained. But, without realizing it, young people started paying more attention to a smartphone screen than to anything else.

This is a familiar story in most families with teenagers. The average American teen who uses a smartphone receives his/her first phone at age 10 and spends over 4.5 hours a day on it. ⁱⁱⁱ 78% of teens check their phones at least hourly and 50% report feeling "addicted" to their phones. ^iv  

Parents find themselves worrying about their teens. It becomes a monumental task to get teens to focus on homework, have dinner peacefully, have real "face-to-face" social time, be physically active, and/or go to bed to actually sleep.

And parents have every right to be concerned. Smartphone addiction is now linked to not only damaging teens' ability to be attentive but also increased anxiety, depression, insomnia, and impulsivity. ^[v] [vi]  

An Epic Battle

By the time parents come to the realization their teens are addicted to smartphones, they have usually already engaged in several "Epic Battles" to control their screen time. It's no wonder that the American Psychological Association (APA) reported that almost half of the surveyed parents thought that regulating their child's screen time is a "constant battle". ^[ii]

Parents may start feeling they have lost control of their children. To make matters worse, parents may be unfamiliar with the rapidly changing parenting technologies and parenting resources available. But there is good news!

Stapp Allows Parents to take Control - and invites them to Start on the National Day of Unplugging

The existence of smartphones and their ever-expanding capabilities does not negate the need for good parenting. That's why parents are taking action. The majority of the surveyed parents by the APA mentioned that they have taken action to manage their child's technology use. ^[ii]

It is not about denying access to smartphones. It's about finding a healthy balance. Children of parents who focus primarily on denying screen access are more likely to engage in problematic behaviors than the children of parents who guide their technology usage.^[i]

That's why STAPP, the new parental control app, is inviting all parents to join the National Day of Unplugging movement taking place March 9^th through 10^th, 2018. This movement was started by the Reboot organization, as a 24-hour respite from technology to connect with loved ones. It has become a national event with multiple local activations that have generated traction via the hashtags #unplug and #nationaldayofunplugging.   

With STAPP, every day can become a National Day of Unplugging, since parents can manage their teens' mobile devices and stop their apps when needed, or on a set schedule.

STAPP. Stops Apps in a Snap:

STAPP was created by a parent, Daniel Marrero, Founder and Owner of Creative on Demand, as a tool for parents to regain control. He developed the app out of a real need and frustration, after trying many different solutions to solve an ever-growing problem.

STAPP is fast to install, easy to learn and safe to use. Parents just have to tap the STAPP button and the apps on their teen's screens will be temporarily invisible – games, social media, movies, and distractions will disappear so their teens can study, eat, sleep, play sports and connect with their families. Tap to un-Stapp, and all the apps reappear in the order they were before.

Find out more at stappnow.com or download the app from the App Store (available as STAPP Parental Control) and get a 14-day free trial. Visit the STAPP Parenting Center for additional resources, tools, and articles and to participate in a forum on parenting and technology. Follow STAPP on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Sources:
i.                        Alexandra Samuel. (2015). "Parents: Reject Technology Shame." The Atlantic.
ii.                       American Psychological Association. (2017). APA's Survey Finds Constantly
                          Checking Electronic Devices Linked to Significant Stress for Most Americans.
iii.                       Common Sense Media. (2015). The Common-Sense Census: Media Use by
                          Tweens and Teens.
iv.                       Common Sense Media. (2016). Technology Addiction: Concern, Controversy,
                           and Finding Balance.
v.                        "Growing Up Digital Alberta" (2016) A Collaborative Research Project.
vi.                        LaMotte, Sande (2017) Smartphone Addiction Could be Changing Your Brain.

Contact: Eirasmin Lokpez-Cobo
Email: [email protected] 
Phone: 305-529-6464

SOURCE STAPP

Related Links

http://stappnow.com