Knowledge and Reported Practices of Mothers about Smart Phone Addiction among their School-Age Children

Despite the benefits of smartphones, a growing number of studies highlight the adverse effects
and potential risks on the cognitive development of school-age children. The objective of this
research was to assess the level of understanding and observed behavior of mpthers about
smartphone addiction in their school-age children. Desgin This study used a descriptive research
approach. A sample of 78 mothers, fulfill the following requirements: 1) Having school-age
children using smartphones, 2) Their children are between 6 and 12 years old, mothers of
children who don't have Smartphones were excluded from the study.The settings included
elementary schools, including both private, public, and foreign institutions. The study
investigators devised a questionnaire for structured interviews. Results indicated that most of the
mothers own a higher education degree, and every single one of them utilizes smartphones. In
the case of smartphones, most of the children included in the study own a smartphone and/or
tablet. All mothers had precise awareness of the detrimental consequences of excessive
smartphone use, although they were unaware of the optimal duration for children to utilize
smartphones or tablets. Conclusion that the predictive factors of smartphone addiction were
daily smartphone and social networking service use duration and the awareness of game overuse.
Recommendations: Mothers should limit their children's smartphone use to a maximum of one
hour each day. It is essential to monitor the frequency of children's smartphone usage since
frequent, brief periods of smartphone use may indicate the presence of smartphone addiction.