Mobile Phone Dependence as a Threat to Child and Adolescent Development

Abstract

Due to intensive advancement of modern Information and Communication Technologies, easily accessible and highly various, it is more and more difficult nowadays to find an area of human life not bearing any sign of impact of digital media, in particular means of communication, such as the Internet or mobile telephony. The mobile phone is an essential tool used by persons of any age, in-cluding the youngest children. There is no doubt about the benefits of possessing and using a mobile phone. It is, however, vitally important to take into consideration the threats resulting from mobile phone misuse, especially among children and adolescents. This article is an attempt to demonstrate the consequences of mobile phone misuse (mobile phone dependence) by children and adolescents.