I went to middle school without a mobile phone – I sat on the toilet and passed – NRK Norway – Overview of news from different parts of the country

In the group of friends, they use the mobile phone to communicate with them. At school, they use their mobile phone as a work tool, and in their free time they take pictures of their hobbies.

10 hours, 6 hours, 4 hours. This is the time young people spend on their mobile phones during the day. Also called screen time.

The fact that young people spend the entire working day on their mobile phones has caused politicians, teachers and parents to sound the alarm.

In the past week, the discussion has been heated Age limit and ban on cell phones at school. But not everyone is positive about it.

Among those opposing the ban is student Mel-Sophie Cavanelli. And there are several reasons for this.

extended arm

Kvannli is attending the final year of Hetland High School in Stavanger. There she studies politics, human rights, English and media.

Whether she is having fun, bored, needs to do school work or with friends, the 18-year-old girl uses her mobile phone in most of the occasions.

For her, the mobile phone has become an extended arm in everyday life.

– I use TikTok for entertainment, Insta when I’m bored, Facebook to scroll through news. Snapchat to connect, post photos, and chat with girlfriends. Messages if I want quick answers.

At Hetland High School, they actively use cell phones during school hours.

– we Make podcast episodes and videos with it, says Cavanli.

But not all of the schools I attended were equally positive about cell phones.

Mobile ban

When Kvannli entered Wang High School, the teachers and principal imposed a ban on cell phones. This was also the year I logged into social media for the first time.

On Instagram, she started her own horse account. There, Kvannli shared photos and snaps with friends and family. The stable, the horse running and riding. She was soaked.

Likes, hearts, photos and comments have become a part of everyday life. Instead of following the teacher’s calls to ban cell phones, she found original ways to hide her cell phone use.

I passed the toilet

– There has never been less time in front of screens. It didn’t work at all. exactly the contrary. We had to hide the use of the mobile phone from the teacher. I took my mobile phone with me to the bathroom and sat there. Kvannli says many other students have, too.

The option to not use a mobile phone didn’t add any flavor.

It simply had no effect. She said that the students secretly used it and hid it from the teachers.

New record

On Tuesday evening, Kvannli visited Dabaten to share experiences regarding his mobile phone use. Last week, Kvannli set a new mobile usage record.

– I had 10 hours and 10 minutes of screen time. I usually have 4 to 5 hours. I plan everything I’m going to do on my mobile. This is where I connect with my parents, read the papers, and FaceTime every day. Many hours on mobile are completely correct and reasonable. She says that many young people, for example, have turned away from Netflix and are using TikTok instead.

Norwegian Parliament representative Nikolaj Astrup in the Conservative Party wants to protect children from the dark side of digitization. He proposes an age limit of 16 on TikTok, Snapchat and Instagram and a total ban on cell phones in school.

Kvannli claims it can be dangerous.

Dangerous ban

– It’s dangerous because bans don’t teach young people anything about social media. Then it becomes free will for them when you turn 16, after which they have not formed any experiences beforehand. Removing just one medium makes us use another medium more. If we remove TikTok and Snapchat, we are only using YouTube.

The student believes that TV series and reality shows can be more harmful.

– Look at Hotel Paradise and Ex On The Beach, what these two series do for young people’s mental health. That is not good.

– These social media apps are based on a business model that is all about getting you addicted so that you spend a lot of time on it. Is it a little naive to think that this is only good?

– I don’t mean that social media is only good. There are of course several guidelines to be implemented here. But I don’t think blocking is the way to do it. I think it works against its purpose, says Kvannli.

He needs training

Instead, Kvannli is now calling for more training on social media.

I wish we had more focus and learning about internet and mobile phone use. It is about training, knowledge and communication. If we want to evolve, we must become more enlightened.

Magnus Hoem Iversen is a media scientist, holds a PhD in media science, and wrote a book on social media.

On Tuesday, he also visited the debate to explain and confirm the myths. Now he’s sharing his best mobile tips.

mobile advice 1

Know that we humans are not as good at doing two things at the same time as we think. In practical terms, this means that every time you pick up the phone, you actually stop what you’re doing. Are you sure you want to stop talking to your friend? your grandmother? Is it OK to stop following a business meeting now or a school lesson? If not, put the phone down.

mobile advice 2

Don’t compare yourself too much to others on social media. It is natural to compare yourself, as this may inspire you. But on the Internet there is always someone more beautiful, stronger and richer than you. Then comparing yourself often leads to bad feelings.

mobile counseling 3

Take steps to avoid digital pressure. Turn off push notifications and other notifications. Then your phone becomes less of a hassle, and you have less to check on at all times.

mobile advice 4

Think about what you use social media for. They are best used for communication and entertainment, rather than staring at other people’s lives and comparing yourself to them. And if your use of social media is causing you bad feelings or a guilty conscience, you should reconsider how you use it.

mobile counseling 5

Do not think that everything is up to you. If the solution is always that you should boost up by walking in the woods or start meditating, big tech gets away with it. These apps create apps that entice us to use them as much as possible. Also seek action from politicians, school authority, and other powerful actors—it’s easier to set rules and pressure companies when there are a lot of you.