A poignant new ad spotlights the tragic effects of phone addiction among teenagers, as experts say society is at a ‘tipping point’ in the epidemic. is bringing tears to parents’ eyes.
An ad for Spanish sportswear brand Sirocco focuses on the sad reality for many families, where fights over phone use are now said to be the norm.
The tearful incident comes as Prince Harry warned in a debate this week that smartphones are “stealing young people’s childhoods”.
The ad asks viewers, “How many lives are being consumed by your cell phone?” About 20 million of them have watched the spot on TikTok since its release on September 16th.
The one-minute, not-so-coincidental PSA about the horrors of smartphone addiction shows a young girl receiving a cell phone as a gift and how quickly she becomes addicted to the device, Today reported.
As she takes selfies, tries out viral dances with her friends, and does all the things any teenager with a cell phone would do, she quickly becomes tired and loses her cheerful adolescence. Since my early childhood, I have felt stressed and become exhausted.
Scenes of her falling asleep in class, being shocked by internet porn, being subjected to cyberbullying are shown in rapid succession, culminating in a full-length panic attack when her parents try to take away her device. .
This tragic ad ends on a happier note, with the girl discovering a bicycle sitting in her garage, taking it out and taking it for a spin. You will get encouraging results.
And while the ultimate goal may have been to sell sportswear, parents were quick to buy into the message, calling the ad “awesome” and Super Bowl-worthy.
“Oh, this ad made me cry. I have a 6-year-old and I’m worried about what the future holds with digital devices in her life,” said one concerned mother.
Another person sighed: “Our sweet children deserve better than this.”
“This is serious,” one parent confessed.
Still another asked, “Why did I cry?”
A new Finnish study found that teenage girls spend more than five hours a day on their mobile phones, with most of them addicted to social media, the Post reported.
“Nearly six hours of daily smartphone use and its impact on adolescent well-being are profound,” the study authors wrote.
And some people with deep knowledge of the issue say things are rapidly improving.
“This year, 2024, will be a turning point,” social psychologist Jonathan Haidt predicted in a conversation with Prince Harry that was first reported by Fortune magazine.
“Horrible things have happened to our children, and now we know it… We didn’t know this 10 years ago, so we don’t want to blame the parents,” he said.
