Israeli Kids and Their Smartphones - Aviel Schneider ISRAEL TODAY

Israeli Kids and Their Smartphones

Friday, January 08, 2016 |  Aviel Schneider  ISRAEL TODAY

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Israeli children are increasingly addicted to smartphones and television. According to a new report, 83 percent of Israeli children and adolescents aged 8–15 are in possession of a smartphone, and 93 percent of these children use their mobile devices for at least four hours every day. Half of all Israeli children said they received in excess of 100 Whatsapp messages daily.

These are just a few of the worrisome details to emerge from the annual statistical report by the National Council for the Welfare of Children, highlighting a range of trends among Israel’s 2.7 million children, roughly 33 percent of the population.

Half of those interviewed in the study said that already within the first 15 minutes after waking up every morning they are on the Internet, most often in order to connect with friends via social networks like Facebook, Whatsapp, Instagram and Snapchat.

What was particularly troubling was the fact that because of the growing amount of time they spend online, nearly half of all Israeli children have already been exposed to some manner of sexually negative content.

Today, life is increasingly interconnected and revolves around the devices that make that possible. The world is literally in the hands of our children. And despite all the risks that carries, a world without smartphones and the interconnectedness they provide is no longer conceivable to the next generation.

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