Digital Discourse Database

Number of Posts: 12
Posts 1 - 10

Quand le smartphone fait de l'ombre au bébé

(When smartphones eclipse babies)

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Newspaper | La Tribune de Genève
Date | 13.6.2017
Language | French
Country | Switzerland
Topic Tags | (mental) health, addiction, childhood, smartphone, technology-free, threat
Summary | More and more parents take a lot of pictures of their newborn before holding him/her for the first time. As a result, a hospital in the Swiss German part of Switzerland decided to impose a new rule: no screen during mother-baby nap. The problem especially affects the younger generation (under 30). Parents seem to pay more attention to their smartphone, which is alarming. For instance, mothers post pictures of themselves in labor. There are no special rules in Geneva, but doctors and midwives are thinking about alternatives. An excessive use of smartphones can also have a negative impact on children's development.
Image Description | Photograph of a hand taking a picture of a newborn with a smartphone
Image Tags | hand(s), smartphone

Quand l'usage du smartphone risque de virer à l'addiction

(When the use of smartphone can lead to addiction)

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Newspaper | Les Echos
Date | 8.2.2017
Language | French
Country | France
Topic Tags | (mental) health, addiction, smartphone, technology-free, threat
Summary | A third of young people between 18 and 24 claim that they look at their phone more than 50 times a day. People are more and more addicted to their smartphone, and we should be worried about that. The "Days without smartphones" were created 16 years ago because of this new trend. 41% of French people state that they look at their smartphone in the middle of the night, and 81% say that they use their smartphone while having a meal with friends or family. People are anxious if they don't have their phone. We talk about nomophobia to characterize this new health problem.
Image Description | Photograph of three young people looking at their phone and smiling
Image Tags | female(s), male(s), smartphone

«Le mobile est le meilleur ami des Milléniums»

("Mobile phone is Millennials' best friend")

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Newspaper | 24 heures
Date | 16.3.2017
Language | French
Country | Switzerland
Topic Tags | addiction, pornography, smartphone, youth
Summary | Céline Cabourg and Boris Manenti answer some questions related to Millennials and their digital world. They say that today, the gap between teenagers and adults is getting more important. For instance, one teenager told Manenti that adults have different Facebook profiles; they only post pictures of their family and their vacation. In sum, they don't use social media the same way as young people. Moreover, teenagers view their smartphone as their best friend and not as a tool. What about "You Porn Generation"? It is true that children as young as 10 can have access to porn. Parents have an important role to play in their relationship with their children, and they should have open discussions with them.
Image Description | Photograph of three teenagers (one girl and two boys) on their smartphones
Image Tags | female(s), male(s), smartphone

Les jeunes passent plus de temps sur le net

(Young people spend more time online)

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Newspaper | 20 minutes
Date | 9.11.2016
Language | French
Country | Switzerland
Topic Tags | addiction, research/study, smartphone, social media, threat, youth
Summary | According to a study, young people spend an average of 2 hours and 30 minutes online during the week, and 3 hours and 40 minutes on the weekend. Also, young people cannot live without their smartphone. They don't usually use their phone to make phone calls or text; they rather use their phone for social media (e.g. Snapchat, Instagram). Even though young people spend a lot of time on their phone, they still meet with friends face-to-face. Smartphones do not replace physical relationships. Finally, families should have rules for new media use at home.
Image Description | Photograph of a group of teenagers (their faces are cut off from the picture); they are sitting next to each other using their phones.
Image Tags | smartphone

"Je suis accro aux jeux sur smartphone"

("I am addicted to smartphone games")

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Newspaper | 24 heures
Date | 11.5.2014
Language | French
Country | Switzerland
Topic Tags | addiction, smartphone, technology-free, threat
Summary | Anne is a 40-year old mom and she was addicted to the game Candy Crush. She used to spend most of her time online to play that game; she would even play instead of spending time with her family. Then, one day, she saw a TV show where two women were sitting at the kitchen table and were both on their phone without talking. Anne realized that she had made a huge mistake. She went back to real life and felt much better. Now she realizes how unhealthy her life was.
Image Description | Photograph of two hands playing Candy Crush on a smartphone.
Image Tags | hand(s), smartphone

Toujours plus accro aux smartphones

(More and more addicted to smartphones)

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Newspaper | Le Matin
Date | 3.12.2014
Language | French
Country | Switzerland
Topic Tags | (mental) health, addiction, smartphone, technology-free, threat
Summary | We carry our smartphone everywhere: bed, bathroom, work, train etc., which can render people addicted. Corine Kibora (spokeswoman at Addiction Switzerland) claims that people can be addicted to social media, news applications, emails etc. When a smartphone disturbs someone's eating, sleeping, or work habits, there is a problem. There can be health issues (eyes tired, sleep disorders) and social issues (personal relations and communication). Kibora suggests setting a schedule; no smartphone during dinner for example.
Image Description | Photograph of a man lying in bed with his smartphone in his hand.
Image Tags | male(s), smartphone

La tentation de la déconnexion

(The temptation of being disconnected)

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Newspaper | La Tribune de Genève
Date | 17.1.2015
Language | French
Country | Switzerland
Topic Tags | addiction, email, smartphone, threat
Summary | There is now a general feeling of overdose or "virtual burnout" with new media. This feeling touches both private and professional spaces. A professor a the University of Neuchatel condemns this phenomenon which can have bad consequences at work. Nowadays, even if we leave our office, our work does not stop; we can still receive emails and feel like we have to respond right away. Some companies have rules: for example, no email after 6 p.m. and during the weekend. This digital overdose also hinders our personal relations with people.
Image Description | Digital image with new media use statistics, and icons related to new media.
Image Tags | computer/laptop, smartphone

Comment j'ai survécu à...une semaine sans smartphone

(How I survived...a week without smartphone)

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Newspaper | La Tribune de Genève
Date | 18.7.2015
Language | French
Country | Switzerland
Topic Tags | addiction, email, smartphone, technology-free
Summary | A journalist tried to live 7 days without her smartphone and talks about her experience. She might be part of the 20% of the Swiss addicted to their smartphone. People are addicted when they spend more time online than with their friends and family. This is not her case. She also realizes that with a smartphone, there is almost no separation between private and professional life; she can read her emails anytime. Without her smartphone, the journalist finds it difficult to organize her day: who is going to pick up the kids? At what time?
Image Description | Blurred photograph of a woman holding a phone; the person is blurred but the phone is in sharp focus.
Image Tags | female(s), smartphone

Jamais sans mon portable!

(Never without my cell phone!)

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Newspaper | 24 heures
Date | 21.2.2016
Language | French
Country | Switzerland
Topic Tags | addiction, smartphone
Summary | Are people addicted to their smartphone? Is it bad or dangerous? Experts claims it is not a real addiction; doctors don't talk about "cell phone addictions". It is also a bad idea to use pathological terms when talking about new media uses (a selfie is narcissistic, Facebook is exhibitionist etc.). Why are people afraid to lose their phone or forget it at home? People are not attached to the object, but to its functionalities. Smartphones replace a lot of everyday objects (agenda, newspaper, etc.). Therefore, people can be anxious if they don't have their smartphone with them.
Image Description | Photograph of a young woman in bed using her smartphone.
Image Tags | female(s), smartphone

Un festival bannit les téléphones portables

(A festival banned cell phones)

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Newspaper | 20 minutes
Date | 27.5.2016
Language | French
Country | Switzerland
Topic Tags | addiction, smartphone, technology-free, youth
Summary | A small festival in Zug decided to ban cell phones so that people can enjoy the festival and live the "present". Smartphones are useful, but it is annoying when people spend most of their time on them. This new rule is a good marketing strategy; it allows the festival to be noticed. However, the restriction couldn't be applied to other big festival such as Paleo Festival or Montreux Jazz Festival.
Image Description | Series of four photographs portraying young people and shots of the festival layout.
Image Tags | female(s), male(s), smartphone

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