Too often the media coverage and public discourse around teens’ use of mobile phones is distorted and negative. A recent article in New Era newspaper titled Namibia: Substance Abuse a Growing Concern illustrates this point perfectly. The article describes how the country is “fast sliding into a blurry downward spiral of alcohol and drug intoxication – in both the young and older generations.”

René Adams, Programme Manager for Substance Abuse, Prevention and Rehabilitation in Namibia, is quoted. She paints an ugly picture of rampant abuse, where mainly young people develop multiple addictions, including to crack cocaine and heroine. And then this:

Another – more conspicuous but less fretted about – addiction among the youth, said Adams, is the all pervasive use of mobile phones, and Facebook where youngsters insult and expose each other.

The result is that you find a youthful population that is not socialised, a population that does not learn how to interact with the rest of society in a healthy fashion.

The jump from talking about alcohol, crack cocaine and heroine addiction, to “mobile addiction” is seamless.