My mom once told me “ your phone is like a flame and you are the moth, and a moth is drawn too easily to the flame.” My parents have taught me responsibility with a phone since I got my first smartphone at 8. These lessons weren’t only about not trusting sketchy websites or putting all of my information on the internet but they were also about how a phone can be addictive and that teenagers aren't good at time management or regulating phone use. When my friends got phones, I realized my mom was right about everything. All of my classmates were hanging out and texting their friends and each other.  I felt left out and upset because none of my friends texted me, whenever we’d hang out there would be drama about “OMG, you'll never believe what --- texted me!” or  “ have you seen this new game that just came out?” Being ignored felt terrible and it’s what I had been doing for 3 years, but why? Why are phones so addictive and why do they turn teenagers into moths? Are teens the issue or, is it more of the technology, parents not regulating the use of phones, or FOMO?

How is technology addictive? Technology has a way to stimulate a person's brain and for some people, that releases a “feel good” chemical called dopamine. According to Rebecca Joy Stanborough, author of “Cell Phone Addiction: is it really a thing?,” made October 17, 2019, smartphone addiction might not be an addiction at all. The need to be on a smartphone all of the time could be just an impulse control issue. Some apps and games are made to get people to come back over and over, giving them a rewarding feeling and a hit of dopamine. These games are also a way to procrastinate any task or chore. According to “Is Your Cell Phone Making You Lazy?”

 written by Seeker, March 11, 2015, people have become lazy in the 21st century and smartphone addiction is one of those reasons. Is technology all that is a factor in this laziness though?

Parents might also be a factor in the addiction to smartphones. According to “Morning Consult’s” commercial website, a poll taken in 2018 shows 72% of parents are limiting their child's screen time to 3-4 hours or less. The other 28% let their children have 5 or more hours of screen time. Some might argue that if parents are limiting their kid's screen time, why would they be a factor in smartphone addiction? On many occasions, as soon as the screen limit is taken away, people are on their smartphones constantly. If parents were to teach their kids why too much screen time is bad along with a limit, that would be far more effective. But, are parents and technology all that keep people on their phones?

Many people have experienced FOMO (fear of missing out), including me, but why would that play a role in smartphone addiction? If someone is home sick or on vacation but wants to know what’s going on at school, smartphones are a solution. If someone lost their phone, losing connection to friends and family, that would cause FOMO. According to the “Media Education Research Journal,” written in 2019, the phenomenon of FOMO causes major communication problems, especially in teens. This issue started long before phones, though the issue increased when phones came about. People have grown accustomed to being able to contact anyone anywhere with a phone. If that immediate human connection is taken away, people get restless and anxious, or FOMO.

The article “Smartphone Addiction,” written by HelpGuide, updated October 2021, people can get better with their phones. People who notice their amount of smartphone use have been making schedules and reminders for when they should be doing productive activities and when they can be on their phones. This strategy has shown me and many of my friends and family that we don't need phones. Other strategies are changing phone use for healthier activities, deleting social media from smartphones, etc. Many people have gotten handling a phone under control from many different strategies, much like some other addictions.

Many people, not just teenagers, are addicted to their phones. I learned that with my friends, their phone use can be regulated, with enough force. If all technology didn't make it so easy to procrastinate, all parents knew how to deal with phones, and FOMO didn’t affect people as much as it does, maybe it would make phone addiction less of an issue. However that isn't true, people get better with technology over time. And like my mom always says, “teenagers are like moths, and the phone is a flame, you can’t expect them to learn what’s bad instantaneously.” My friends have gotten better with smartphone addiction, every teen will, but that doesn't mean teens aren't terrible with technology to begin with.