With the new Apple update IOS 12 comes a new feature in the settings: a gadget known as screen time. which displays the total time spent on the phone for the day and the average for the week. This is supposed to help smartphone users to reduce or manage screen time.

After collecting data from over twenty Rochester Adams High School students, the average screen time per student in the test pool is 3.6 hours per day. When comparing female v.s. male screen time, the average Rochester Adams male student’s screen time is 2.5 hours per day, and the average Rochester Adams female student’s screen time is 3.6 hours per day.

Many believe too much time on a phone may be detrimental to a teen’s health due to less human interaction, less real world problem solving, and a higher possibility of cyber bullying, and Apple is taking steps to help resolve some of this.

“I really enjoy how easily I can see my screen time, and the categories were I use my phone the most,” said freshman Zach Mazzuchi.

If the claims about teen health concerning technology use are proven to be true, an entire generation will have an extreme problem on its hands. On the contrary, more screen time might just be exactly what teens need in order to excel in the “real world”. With technology becoming more prevalent in today’s society, technology use is inevitable, and the longer developing teen brains can adapt to digital problems, the better the upcoming workforce will be set to deal with online issues.

“I think technology use among teens is beneficial due to more companies switching to digital work rather than paper and pencil,” said sophomore Mitchell Bowery.

If the claims proposed about teen health regarding technology use are proven to be false, then society may have a fully capable and prepared workforce who can and will tackle the problems of the future. As the screen time results build up, this give people time to gather the data and analyze the situation.

Regardless of whether it helps teens, Apple has succeeded in a method in which one has the option and access to view and manage how much time is spent on his/her phone.