The dawn of the screenager: Teens spending 9 hours a day online

Parents must deal with statistics that reveal teenagers are spending an average of nine hours a day on digital devices, says Richard Hogan

NOTHING has invaded our personal worlds with such muted insidiousness than that of our technological devices. One of the most striking features of our society today is the fact that nearly everyone seems to be plugged out of life and plugged into some sort of device as they go about their daily commute to work or school. It is something I encounter on my own commute into the city — adults and teenagers alike, head down, feverishly zombie scrolling through the minutia of the latest post or tweet or whatever it is that is capturing their attention so completely.

However, while this may seem like a harmless way to while away those awkward moments on public transport, recent research elucidates the harsh reality, we are becoming more and more addicted to our devices.