Dr. Phil

Social Media Obsessed Teens: “I Can't Breathe Without Wi-Fi”

Seventeen-year-old Khloe says she is so obsessed with social media, she cannot breathe without WiFi. She admits she spends 16-to-18 hours a day on various websites and posting selfies — and even sleeps with her phone strapped to her hand. Khloe says if she doesn’t have access to WiFi, she suffers from panic attacks. Khloe’s mother, Melanie, and stepfather, Danny, say Khloe’s behavior is so out of control, she will physically fight them or break down doors if her cell phone is taken away as punishment. Then, Charmaine says her 15-year-old daughter is on chat sites constantly. She says she suspected that her teen was giving out personal information online, even though her daughter denied it, so Charmaine created a fake profile and chatted with her daughter for three days. Before long, her daughter freely gave out her hometown, age and school. Charmaine says she fears one day her daughter will share her information with the wrong person, and her safety or life could be in danger.