Teenagers addicted to their smartphones are more likely to suffer from anxiety and depression.
Teenagers can endanger their mental health by fixating on smartphones
Young people say they have problematic smartphone use - which refers to behaviours such as worrying when their phone is unavailable or using their device to the detriment of other activities.
According to a new study, approximately 44 per cent of those aged 13 to 16 with problematic use of their smartphone recorded symptoms of anxiety compared to 26.4 per cent without and around 56 per cent of teenagers the same age with troubled device usage had symptoms of depression compared to 35.8 per cent without.
Professor Ben Carter, author of the study at King's College London, said: "By revealing the link between problematic use of smartphones and poorer mental health, and demonstrating that young people are aware of this problem and are eager to manage their use, these studies highlight the need for evidence-based interventions to help adolescents struggling with difficult behaviours around their smartphone use."