Advice from a phone-addicted teenager to parents: Don't give phones to children when they are young.

20.10.2025 15:45

After a long break, Barış Özbay, a phone addict from Hatay, took a shower, shaved, and left his house. He called on families with the words, "Don't give phones to children when they are young; give them when they grow up," urging them to ensure that their children do not end up like him.

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A 50-year-old mother, Semra Özbay, and her 23-year-old son, Barış Özbay, who lost their home in the earthquakes centered in Kahramanmaraş, are holding on to life together in the Defne district after the earthquake. The family, who lost both their home and loved ones in the earthquake, has been struggling through a difficult process for three years. Barış Özbay, who lost his desire to live after the earthquake and started playing constantly on his computer and mobile phone, became addicted to the virtual world and drew the attention of Turkey with his life story.

TEAMS MOVED INTO ACTION ON THE GOVERNOR'S INSTRUCTION

Acting on the instruction of Hatay Governor Mustafa Masatlı, the teams from the Family and Social Services Directorate took the first step towards Barış's new life. After a long break, Barış took a shower, got a haircut, and received personal care, while his living space was cleaned and painted. After health checks, Barış stated that he could play on his phone for 24 hours a day and advised families not to let future generations become phone addicts like him.

"WHEN THERE'S NO INTERNET, I DOWNLOAD GAMES AND PLAY ALL DAY"

Barış Özbay, who says he can play on his phone non-stop for 24 hours if he has nothing to do all day, stated, "I wake up in the morning, eat my meal, go to the bathroom, and then come and sit down. It doesn't go fast; it takes me an hour to do these things. If I'm sleepy, I sleep. I play on my phone. When there's no internet and my mom isn't around, and if there's nothing on the phone, I watch the walls or the TV. I'm just waiting for time to pass. When my mom comes home in the evening, I start playing on my phone until late at night. If there's internet, I sit and play until morning. It feels better that way. The later I go to bed, the less I feel like I've lived that day. Sometimes when there's no internet, I download games and play until the evening. I play non-stop because there's nothing to do, but I'm not addicted like an animal. When I'm alone, I pick up my phone just to pass the time.

"I DON'T LIKE ONLINE GAMES, SOCIALIZING IS NOT MY THING"

If there's nothing to do on the phone, I sleep, watch the walls, the TV, or look outside. I only pick up my phone when I'm bored. If I have a whole day free, I can play on my phone for 24 hours. There aren't really any good games on the phone. I play story-based games. My friend has a computer, and I play single-player games on it. I don't like online games; socializing is not my thing at all. I don't like dealing with people. Since I don't like dealing with games, I play cheat games. What I like is seeing people's lives. I think I like it because I don't have a life. In games, I don't focus on the game; I look more at the stories of the game. I enjoy it more that way," he said.

"DON'T GIVE PHONES TO CHILDREN WHEN THEY ARE YOUNG"

Barış Özbay, who advises parents with the words "Don't give phones to children when they are young, give them when they grow up" regarding phone addiction, said, "I won't give advice to young people. I can't say to them to put down their phones if they already have them; it's too late for that. I can give advice to families. Don't give phones to children when they are young; give them after they grow up. I would say let them go out and play in the street with their friends, but they also give their phones to their friends. Then they have no friends to play with. I didn't even have a phone when I finished high school. I got a phone when I grew up. Don't give your phones to children. I think it should be this way. I don't go out and socialize. I don't go to cafes or anything. That's why there's nothing to do.

"I DON'T WANT TO MEET STRANGERS AT ALL"

I don't even have the energy to look at the walls. That's why I play on my phone. It starts at those times and gradually becomes a habit. Life seems boring to me. Most likely, there are certain scenarios in games, series, and movies on the phone. When I watch a series or a movie, I can easily predict what will happen next. I really like this situation. Real life is not like this; you can't predict what will happen. This uncertainty is frightening. I don't want to get into a job or meet people at all. People are very scary. You can't know what will happen to people, and you can't know what's going on in their heads. I don't want to meet strangers at all," he expressed.