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Viral Bicycle Video Shows Dangers of Phones for Kids – NBC Los Angeles

Viral Bicycle Video Shows Dangers of Phones for Kids – NBC Los Angeles

Parents say a viral video showing the horrors of teens’ phone addiction is “powerful” and “hits deep.”

The video ad, released on September 16 by Spanish sportswear brand Siroko, is captioned: “How much life does your phone use?” and has more than 19 million views on TikTok.

The story in the video is about a young girl who is happy to receive a cell phone for Christmas. She quickly develops an attachment to the device – texting from bed, taking selfies, playing mobile games and typing while walking. She eats on her phone, gets distracted by text messages while doing homework, and does a social media dance with friends.

Despite becoming increasingly tired, she can’t put the phone down.

The girl starts falling asleep in class, becomes the target of online bullying, and accidentally finds porn on a website. When her parents try to take the phone away from her, she screams hysterically.

Only when the girl sees a bicycle in her garage does she react in surprise.

The video ends with the girl gliding down the street on a bicycle with the wind in her hair and a smile on her face.

Parents on Instagram and TikTok said the video’s message was “amazing” and worthy of a Super Bowl ad placement. Comments (in various languages) included:

  • “Why did that make me cry???”
  • “Childhood is worth protecting!”
  • “It’s not about children at all. It’s about all of us. Children are just mirrors.”
  • “Our sweet children deserve better!”
  • “This hits deep.”
  • “Oh my God, this ad made me cry. I have a 6-year-old child and I’m worried about what the future will look like with a digital device in her life.”
  • “So powerful.”

In a 2016 Common Sense Media survey, half of teens said they felt “addicted” to their phones.

The survey also found that 72% of teens “feel the need to respond to phone notifications immediately,” and more than a third of families say they argue about the topic of cell phones every day.

This story first appeared on TODAY.com. More from TODAY: