Parents addicted to smartphone use can cause harmful consequences to kids
A recent US study has shown that excessive use of smartphones by parents may affect their child’s development.
Perhaps one of the greatest evils of our Y and Z generations is the inevitable dependency on smartphones to function in society. Parents may find that their child is spending too much time on their device, from playing mobile games to spending countless hours on social media platforms and Whatsapp. But as a parent, you also need to realise that the youngsters aren’t the only ones who are affected by this dependence on smartphones.
A new study published in the Journal of Developmental and Behavior Pediatrics by the University of Michigan and Boston Medical Center has shown that excessive use of mobile phones in the presence of children may impair their cognitive development.
The study & its results
To reach this conclusion, the researchers organised 35 interviews – individual and grouped – with adults in charge of children under 8 years. A total of 22 mothers, 9 fathers and 4 grandmothers from different socio-economic backgrounds representing different levels of education were included. Following the interviews, the result is uniform: parents are struggling to focus on both their smartphones and their children. This behavior leads to conflicts of interaction between parent and child and as such, complications in the cognitive development in the child may arise.
PARENTS, CHILDREN AND SMARTPHONES
Scientists agree that the human brain is capable of handling children and an activity on the smartphone at the same time, though respondents complain in particular about information overload, emotional stress and disruption of family routine.
On the other hand, the parents in the study have recognised that their responses to messages or news on their phones can adversely affect the way they talk to their children. Researchers call this a “trickle down” effect. In the same vein, children have to try even harder to get the attention of their parents when they see that the adult is engrossed in something else, thus they might act out, causing parents to get “snappy” in response.
As previous research shows, children need face-to-face interaction with parents and other adults in order to build important cognitive abilities and linguistic skills. With this study, researchers hope to raise awareness and to encourage parents to limit the use of their smartphone during the moments they spend with their families.
Laura Gabrieli
Photo: Getty Images
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