One in four kids and young adults may be addicted to their phones - study

Results found young women in the 17 to 19-year-old age bracket were most likely to have PSU.
Results found young women in the 17 to 19-year-old age bracket were most likely to have PSU. Photo credit: Getty.

Researchers have found one in four children revealed 10-30 percent of children and teenagers display addictive behaviour towards their smartphone.

The study released by BMC Psychiatry looked at data from 41 studies published between 2011 and 2017.

It included 30 from Asia, nine from Europe and two America, while 55 percent of the participants were female. 

According to the research, an average of 23 percent of the subjects studied showed problematic smartphone usage called PSU.

Among the subjects studied results found young women in the 17 to 19-year-old age bracket were most likely to have PSU.

PSU is described as a type of behaviour which causes anxiety and panic when an individual is unable to find their phone.

Those experiencing PSU may find it difficult to control the amount of time spent on their phone.

The study discovered 14 and 31 percent of kids and young adults had problematic smartphone usage which linked to the increased likelihood of depression, anxiety, stress and poor sleep quality.

Eight studies reported a significant association between PSU and depression across 10,099 participants.

But despite the results, researchers have claimed half the studies used poor quality methods.

Co-senior author Dr Nicola Kalk told The Guardian, the researchers don't know whether it is the smartphone itself that can be addictive or the apps that people use. But, there is a need for public awareness around smartphone use in children and young people. 

"Smartphones are here to stay and there is a need to understand the prevalence of problematic smartphone usage."