Three weeks ago when I went to the nearest supermarket and stopped at the crossroads to wait for the green light, I suddenly got a feeling I got into a movie. In the Shaun of the dead movie, to be precise (I’d definitely recommend this comedy for watching). However, I cannot say I was really happy, because as you could guess, it is about zombies, although funny ones. I was also surrounded by zombie-like creatures at that moment, with the difference that they did not attempt to eat my brains and looked pretty harmless. They stared at their smartphones while peacefully creeping around or standing still. Of course, I saw such people before, but when there were a lot of them in one place, it made me wonder whether my 6 years old son would become like that and what I could do to prevent such a scenario.

Therefore, I decided to investigate the case, so to speak, and to get an objective picture of the spreading epidemic of smombism. So, here we go.

Signs and symptoms: although, some of those infected with a smombie virus are asymptomatic, the rest develop wrist pain and muscle pain thanks to continuous texting and scrolling on the touchscreen and holding their heads down. They often have pale skin, bags under their eyes and other usual signs of sleep deprivation.

Risk factors: a number of factors make people more susceptible to this virus such as young age, an urge to “be connected”, stay tuned for the latest news including unnecessary stuff, lack of interest in real life, boredom, laziness and the need to be constantly rewarded.

Prevention: outdoor activities that give a good portion of endorphins and sometimes become an addiction, but a healthy one, meeting with friends offline, interesting hobbies. Those who have addiction problems may consider treatment programs at rehab centers like Sober Living Fresno. You can  learn more tips at www.consultant.rehab/how-to-start-a-rehab-center.

Treatment: there are several methods, the most effective one is to deprive an infected person of internet for some time and take all the electronic devices from them. The withdrawal is unavoidable, though.

Prognosis: with proper treatment, most people will recover completely or go into remission in about one to unknown-but-many weeks.

Jokes aside, the smartphone addiction is a real problem nowadays. 59% of parents say their kids aged from 12 to 18 are addicted to mobile devices and 50% of teens agree with that, according to the poll conducted by Common Sense Media.

However, I think most parents are capable to change the situation.

There are certain tips for parents of cell-phone addicted teenagers like showing a positive example, setting limits on electronic devices or using parental control apps. I agree that you cannot demand something from others if you cannot bring yourself to do it. You cannot argue that you use your cell phone often, because it is a part of your work and your son or daughter does not have one yet. Lets’ be honest, constantly checking your inbox, answering messages on Facebook, checking new photos on Instagram and playing casual games is not usually a part of someone’s job.

I would add that based on my experience and on what I have learnt from friends who have elder kids, the most important thing you can do is to become an interesting person for your child. It is a lot more difficult when he or she is a teenager and, therefore, demands a lot of effort, but it is worth it. I can tell, because I also used to be a teen and at that time, I thought I had nothing in common with my parents. Our conversations were somewhat forced and limited to asking and answering questions about trivial matters, although I would love to discuss different things with them or go camping together given an opportunity. So, you have to be a cool dad™. Now I really enjoy spending time with my son playing football and watching cartoons together. I am even planning to buy garrett metal detectors so my son and I can comb the yard and the beaches for valuables. I am going to stay young at heart as long as possible and hope to still rock when I am 70, so my children feel proud of me.

Kids need not only a cool dad but also a cool mom. Help your wife with household work, so she has time for it. Even if you are very tired, you can at least gather your socks you left around as it takes several seconds.

Try to show your teen how much time they waste in their best years on the Internet absorbing information they immediately forget and teach them to use a principle of the core value (and use it yourself). The point is we can divide technologies into three main categories based on the benefits they can bring: technologies with core (significantly impacts a part of our life), minor (provides some positive moments) and invented value. Teens are often addicted to apps from the third category. For example, Snapchat makes them believe they need constant updates on their friends’ daily routines, while they didn’t know about it before they got this app. Make use of teenagers’ need to rebel and swim against the current – let them protest against marketing tricks.

You can also tell your kids they are actually called smombies. If I were a teen, I would not want to be called like that, because it sounds really stupid. Moreover, overuse of cell phones can make them stupid, since addicts do show a shrinking of brain matter, according to scientists. I did not actually find a link to the white paper that proves this statement, but somehow I just believe it.

I definitely would not treat the cell-phone addiction as far less dangerous thing that other types of addiction. It also affects both your kid’s physical and psychological state like alcohol and drugs do, although its impact is not that devastating. Moreover, its danger lies in fast spreading among teens, like this is some sort of a virus. The more kids are already addicted, the more will follow them: “infected” ones indirectly contribute to infecting others. Therefore, if you notice the symptoms, you’d better take measures applicable to your case as quickly as possible. If the tips mentioned above do not work, you can use more hardcore methods, but try negotiations at first; and do not blame only modern technologies, but look for your own oversights and mistakes in raising your kids.

*Flickr photo by Nicolas Nova, used under Creative Commons license.