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Half of All Teenagers Are Addicted to Their Smartphones, Survey Finds

The report from Common Sense Media, which studies children’s use of technology, is based on a survey of more than 1,200 teenagers and parents.
Cellphones On The Street
Group of teenagers, most of them looking at their phones in London, England. September 17, 2014.Moment Editorial/Getty Images
/ Source: NBC News

Half of all teens admit they are addicted to their smartphones and other mobile devices, and nearly 60 percent of parents say they think their teens are too tech-addled, according to a new survey.

The report from Common Sense Media, which studies children’s use of technology, is based on a survey of more than 1,200 teenagers and parents.

Here are some of their findings:

  • 59 percent of parents feel their teens are addicted to their mobile phones and tablets
  • 50 percent of teens say they are
  • 27 percent of parents admit they’re addicted to their mobile devices
  • 28 percent of teens say their parents are addicted
  • 66 percent of parents say their teens spend too much time on mobile devices
  • 66 percent of parents ban the devices at dinner
  • 48 percent of parents feel the need to immediately respond to texts and other communications
  • ... and 78 percent of teens feel the same way
  • 69 percent of parents check their devices hourly or more often
  • ... and 78 percent of teens are doing the same thing
  • 56 percent of parents admit they look at mobile devices when driving
  • 51 percent of teens see them do it
  • 85 percent of parents say use of mobile devices does not hurt or even helped their relationships with their teens
  • 89 percent of teens feel the same about their parents’ use of mobile devices
Cellphones On The Street
Group of teenagers, most of them looking at their phones in London, England. September 17, 2014.Moment Editorial/Getty Images

"Part of the concern around being constantly connected through technology and media revolves around how we multitask among different forms of media and between media and real life," the report says.

Studies show multitasking can make people perform more poorly on the tasks they are trying to do.