We are not smombies!

Young people spend too much time on their mobile phones - say adults. In the «Generation Smartphone» research project, young people took part in the research themselves, writing consumption diaries and contributing their views on the subject. One young researcher, Nadja, 16, wrote an email directly to the parents of young people.

Dear parents
We young people are fed up with always being lumped together. «Today's young people are only on their mobile phones.» «They'll be totally dumbed down if they just sit in front of a screen.» That's a total generalisation. We are not all «smombies», i.e. smartphone zombies. (Incidentally, no young person uses this word).
Of course, there are always exceptions, people who don't have their smartphone under control. But many teenagers have an unproblematic relationship with their smartphone and, above all, one that is changing. Perhaps you, dear parents, have recently bought your child a smartphone. And now you'd like to slap yourself for it, because your offspring is just hanging around in front of the screen. «My child is probably already addicted», you may think.

«We need more time! As we get older, our interest in smartphones decreases. That's part of growing up.»

We can take away some of your worries: Think back to when your child was a little younger. Your child probably wished for a certain toy. And what happened when they finally got it? Exactly. For some time, the child was almost exclusively occupied with the new, interesting object.
It's the same with a mobile phone. When you get a new mobile phone, it's very exciting at first. What can the device do? What happens when I activate certain functions? How do WhatsApp, Instagram and Snapchat work? It's completely normal to want to familiarise yourself with a new device.
If you think that this phase has been going on for a long time with your child, just think about how many possibilities a mobile phone has to offer. So it's almost logical that the familiarisation period will take a little longer.
In general, young people become less interested in their smartphones as they get older. You don't miss out on anything if you don't follow a trend. This is a pleasant realisation that is part of growing up. The smartphone has become part of our society; the best way for young people to learn how to use this medium is through their own experiences.
Give us the time we need. Just as every young person needs their smartphone differently, every young person needs a different amount of time to develop a healthy relationship with their smartphone.
Best regards, Nadja
Picture: istock

Nadja, 16, wohnt in Wald im Zürcher Oberland. Sie versucht, weniger Zeit am Handy zu verbringen. «Unter der Woche bin ich täglich ein bis zwei Stunden am Handy, am Wochenende, je nachdem, ob ich etwas unternehme, bis zu sechs Stunden, Musik nicht einberechnet. Die meiste Zeit verbringe ich auf YouTube und WhatsApp. Während YouTube für mich zur Unterhaltung dient, nutze ich WhatsApp für die Kommunikation mit Freunden und Klassenkameraden. Das Handy ist für mich auch für die Schule mittlerweile unentbehrlich. Voci lerne ich beispielsweise nur noch mit einer App, und auch Gruppenaufträge bespreche ich über WhatsApp. Bei mir zu Hause gibt es keine Regeln im Umgang mit dem Handy, aber ich setze mir selber welche. Zum Beispiel lege ich mein Handy über Nacht in die Küche.»
Nadja, 16, lives in Wald in the Zurich Oberland. She tries to spend less time on her mobile phone. "I spend one to two hours a day on my mobile phone during the week and up to six hours at the weekend, depending on what I'm doing, not including music. I spend most of my time on YouTube and WhatsApp. While I use YouTube for entertainment, I use WhatsApp to communicate with friends and classmates. My mobile phone has also become indispensable for school. I only learn Voci with an app, for example, and I also discuss group assignments via WhatsApp. I don't have any rules about using my mobile phone at home, but I set some for myself. For example, I put my mobile phone in the kitchen overnight."

Generation Smartphone" research project

What risks and opportunities does the smartphone harbour for young people? What significance does it have in everyday life? The «Generation Smartphone» research project aims to answer these and other questions. For the research by the University of Applied Sciences Northwestern Switzerland FHNW and the Zurich University of Applied Sciences ZHAW, which is funded by the Mercator Foundation Switzerland, 30 young people aged between 12 and 19 documented in diary form when and how often they use their smartphone. The diaries provide an insight into everyday smartphone use and the associated emotions and attitudes, after which the young people were interviewed. The data material was analysed by a team of professional researchers and eight young co-researchers. As a result, the insider knowledge of the «smartphone generation» was also incorporated into the scientific study. Postcards designed by young people with «messages» to other young people on smartphone use will be published soon, and the final report on the project will be published in spring 2018.
Further information on the project: www.stiftung-mercator.ch/de/projekte/generation-smartphone

Read more:
In the February 02/2018 issue, another young researcher presents her findings: In the form of WhatsApp chats, she shows parents why the smartphone is so important for young people. Order the issue now.