Children's "Smartphone Addiction" Continues to Rise Year by Year—What is Needed to Break Free? A Close Look at the Frontlines of Treatment

2025年08月31日 01:26

Introduction: Smartphones as "Life Infrastructure," Therefore "Usage" Over "Quantity"

The Reality of Ownership and Usage Time
In domestic surveys, the smartphone ownership rate for those under 18 is 47.9%, with usage averaging 1,219 minutes per week (about 20 hours). Concerns from parents about "dependency" are increasing.M2RI
Is "Smartphone Dependency" a Diagnosis?
Medically, "Gaming Disorder" is included in ICD-11. The core criteria are uncontrollable use, prioritization over other activities, and continuation despite negative effects. While "smartphone as a whole" for SNS and video viewing is not a standalone diagnosis, similar mechanisms can disrupt daily life, and the medical field evaluates it comprehensively under "internet and gaming addiction."World Health OrganizationPsychiatric Association
Trends in Guidelines
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) emphasizes a Family Media Plan (what, when, where, with whom, balancing sleep/exercise/study) rather than absolute time by age. For infants, usage is highly limited. Avoiding use before bed and bringing devices into the bedroom is recommended.aap.org+1

The Prevalence and Limitations of Household Rules
About 70% of households with elementary, middle, and high school students have rules. However, more than half of high school students have "no rules." As students become more independent, parental control becomes more challenging.Zen-P
Key Points of the Government's "Internet Usage Environment" Survey
The Children's and Families Agency (formerly the Cabinet Office) annually publishes a survey that continuously monitors changes in filtering and usage. The 2025 edition confirms the trend of younger users, longer usage times, and "hybrid usage" of videos, SNS, and games.Joint Staff Office of the Self-Defense Forcese-Stat
School Responses
The Ministry of Education issued a notice (2020) generally prohibiting mobile phones in elementary schools, asking for policy formulation and parental awareness according to local circumstances. Balancing BYOD learning, emergency communication, and risk education is a challenge.Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology

Variable Ratio Reinforcement (Gambling Nature): The design where you never know when you'll get a "like" is a powerful reinforcer.
FOMO (Fear of Missing Out): Communication and community maintenance are concentrated on smartphones.
The Cycle of Sleep Debt: Usage right before bed → delayed sleep onset → worsening academics/mood → further usage to escape reality.
Intersection with Developmental Challenges: Adolescents' search for identity, ADHD, and anxiety/depression mutually exacerbate each other. Reviews of treatment indicate that Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Family Therapy are effective.National Consumer Affairs Center

Initial Evaluation: Interview, life history, comorbidity assessment (sleep, attention/hyperactivity, anxiety/depression, school maladaptation).
Diagnostic Framework: Clinical evaluation of internet and gaming addiction, goal setting (attendance, study, sleep, interpersonal).
Team Approach: Collaboration among psychiatrists, clinical psychologists, nurses, and day care staff.kurihama.hosp.go.jp

Individual CBT: Identify triggers → behavioral experiments → substitute activities → relapse prevention plan.
Group CBT: Creating "usage rules" with peers.
SST (Social Skills Training): Practice of dialogue, refusal, and schedule management.
Day Care: Correcting reversed day-night cycles, reconstructing life rhythms.
Family Interview: Unified rules, communication, consistency of reinforcers.kurihama.hosp.go.jp

Family Meetings (Kurihama): Held monthly. Lectures and shared experiences cut off "isolation." When family responses change, treatment effects stabilize.kurihama.hosp.go.jp

Increase in Consultations, Especially Among Young Men. With the growing demand for consultation and treatment, regional collaboration and data development are urgent.Health and Labor Sciences Research Database

Group CBT as Universal Prevention
Programs that can be implemented on a class basis are being developed by domestic academic societies.Assessment → Effect measurement → Instruction plan → Teaching materials, discussions are underway to integrate these into school settings.med-gakkai.jp
Family × School × Community Triad
Not just rule-making, but creating a foundation for sleep, exercise, and learning. Involving student councils to create "student-decided media norms" within schools activates intrinsic motivation.

Family Media Plan: Who, what, when, where, how much, ensuring sleep and exercise.aap.org
"Screen Break" for One Hour Before Bed and in the Bedroom. Blue light and SNS stimulation are major enemies of sleep onset.aap.org
Turn Off Notifications/Summary Delivery: Cut off the reinforcement schedule of apps.
Redesign the Home Screen: Place educational and health apps on the first screen, entertainment on the second and beyond.
Weekend Family Events: Substitute activities (exercise, outdoor play, cooking).
"No Multitasking" Zones: Dining table, during transit, study time.
Agreement and Reset Rules: Pre-agreed penalties for violations (reduced usage time, stopping payments, etc.).
Screenshot Household Ledger: Visualize payment and purchase history with parents and children.
Communication with School and Cram School: Early sharing of signs of tardiness/absenteeism.
Seek Professional Help If Needed: If prolonged usage, lifestyle disruption, verbal abuse/withdrawal overlap, seek medical or counseling help.National Consumer Affairs Center