Published on
Updated
Reading 1 min.
Eight out of ten French people admit to spending more time than expected on the screens and a majority of them admit to having difficulty controlling their digital uses. This observation is even more true among the youngest. 15-24 year olds use screens considered intensive, to the point of developing bad habits that can potentially become addictive.
According to a barometer produced by Harris Interactive for the interministerial mission to combat drugs and addictive behavior“more than 8 out of 10 respondents spend more time than expected on screens, regardless of the type of activity“.
Among 15-24 year olds, 20%, twice as many as their elders, spend more than four hours a day on screens. According to experts, using a smartphone (or other connected device) for more than four hours each day is considered intensive use.
However, “a majority of respondents believe they cannot stop or reduce their digital activities”, explains the barometer. Especially for playing games, watching videos and communicating. Three quarters of 15-24 year olds continue to use the phone after bedtime. These say “watch videos or continue to communicate“.
Intensive use that exacerbates bad habits
Another finding of the barometer, the more time we spend on screens, the more likely we are to adopt bad habits. A quarter of respondents believe they snack more on sweets, sodas and other snacks when they engage in a digital activity. A proportion that rises to 42% among 15-24 year olds.
The time spent on the telephone and other screens is also accompanied by an increase in the consumption of tobacco in 10% of respondents and alcohol in 7%.
Screens are also a gateway to prohibited products. Thereby, “8% of respondents say they buy illicit substances online“. A rate that reaches 16% among 25-34 year olds. For 15-24 year olds and 35-49 year olds, this rate is 10%.
“The results of this first wave of the Barometer confirm the generalization of French digital uses, highlight the emergence of intensive uses, particularly among the youngest, and make it possible to quantify certain potentially problematic behaviors approaching so-called ‘addictive’ behaviors.‘” explains the study.