Smartphone addiction becoming a global concern

A new study is shining a light on how many of us are at risk of becoming addicted to our cellphones.

It's the largest Canadian study and it found that one out of three people around the world are at risk of smartphone addiction.

We asked Sudburians what they think about their smartphones.

“I'd say I use it a lot but I’m not addicted to it,” one person said.

“Yes, it’s a necessity, without cellphones we are not able to live our lives,” said another.

"My husband thinks I’m addicted to it but I’m really doing a lot of business on my phone and helping him on it, who's not technically savvy,” said another.

New research published in the International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction suggests one in three around the world are at risk of developing high-risk problematic smartphone use.

In the largest Canadian study, researchers surveyed more than 50,000 people in 195 countries between the ages of 18 to 90.

"There’s reductions in things like exercise, sleep, in-person socializing amongst young people,” lead researcher Jay Olson.

“An increase in depression, anxiety and loneliness, and we know some of these changes are due to replacing other activities with smart phone use."

The study also found in Canada, university-aged women were more likely to demonstrate problematic use.

VARIES PERSON TO PERSON

Kaitlin Haley, a caseworker at the Canadian Mental Health Association Sudbury-Manitoulin, said smartphone addiction looks different from person to person.

"Maybe some neglect of self, so prioritizing the cellphone use, there may be impact in productivity, whether that’s home life or certain things that weren’t important before, it’s that nice escape for them," Haley said.

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Olson said if you are concerned about screen time, there are things you can do to cut back, including silencing notifications, and keeping your phone outside of the bedroom at night.