Smartphones are re-shaping family relationships. Right now, as I write in a coffee shop, I can see a mom and dad captivated by their phones while their baby babbles to try to get their attention. I’ve seen parents use their phones as babysitters—and I feel empathy for them. Everyone needs a break, sometimes to connect with other adults or just to get some work done.
But what happens to children when their parents’ attention is diverted away from them and is focused on their phones? Recent research validates what you might already be thinking!
In one study, researchers found that toddlers’ ability to learn new words was derailed when their moms were briefly interrupted by a cell phone call. In another recent study, 170 couples with young children completed questionnaires about how much they perceived their mobile phone use was a problem and how often their devices interrupted daily conversations or activities with their children. Parents also reported on their children’s problem behaviors, from sulking to temper tantrums. As expected, the researchers found that the more parents reported phone-related interruptions, the more they reported their children displaying both types of negative behaviors.
[For more on this story by MARYAM ABDULLAH, go to https://greatergood.berkeley.e...ut_away_their_phones]
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