How You Use Your Phone May Actually Be Damaging To Your Children

Jul 31, 2018

Smartphones have made a big impact on the world. You can use them to keep in touch with friends and family, find directions to obscure areas, and use search engines to find local entertainment.

We do have to admit that smartphones have impacted the way we interact with those around us, but this isn’t necessarily in a good way. Has your phone ever gone off at the dinner table and you completely zoned out of the conversation around you because you had to look at the message immediately? We bet it has.

We may like to brag that we used to play outside all of the time growing up, unlike the children of today. The reality is, however, that most of us really do interact with our smartphones multiple times a day. The bad news is that it can affect the way our children grow up.

A study was performed at the Illinois State University and the University of Michigan involving 200 families. It found that 40% of all mothers questioned admitted that they are addicted to using their smartphone, while 32% of all fathers questioned admitted to the same.

It simply means you feel a constant urge to look at your messages, check social media, send text messages, or you get worried about where your smartphone is all of the time.

Technoference is the new term for parents who have a phone addiction. The study found that at least twice a day, interactions between parents and children are interrupted because of the parent’s smartphone usage.

It is hard for children to feel loved if their mother or father is always interacting with their phone and not them, according to Brandon McDaniel, a professor who works in the human development department of Illinois State University. He stated that since kids are not adults, they may show their frustration by acting out to get attention.

The distractions smartphones can cause can easily cause children to act up, as they are feeling neglected and ignored by mom or dad. Mother-child connections are affected the most. Children may end up with behavioral issues that make them wish to communicate even less. This is because when they do attempt to talk to their mother and father they are ignored or brushed off because of the phone addiction. They learn, in time, that there is no real point in talking, as they will just be ignored.

Experts recommend mothers and fathers put away their smartphones at night and speak with your kids before they go to bed. Make time with them a priority. Set aside the phone where you cannot hear it or see it to minimize distractions.

Susan Neumanm, a professor at New York University, says that children are very social creatures and need regular interaction with their parents. If parents are always on their phones, children will not get that basic human need fulfilled, leading to problems in the future.

In conclusion, you have to find the right balance. You can’t get rid of your smartphone altogether, but you can take the steps necessary to make sure your children are receiving quality time and attention from you.

Do you think you are guilty of technoference? Let us know in the comments and pass this along to others who may need to read it!

Our content is created to the best of our knowledge, yet it is of general nature and cannot in any way substitute an individual consultation with your doctor. Your health is important to us!