Parents’ excessive use of mobile phones linked to poor behaviour in kids
According to a study by researchers from the University of Michigan Medical School and Illinois State University, parents who use their mobile phones excessively can cause their children to have behaviour problems.
Using online questionnaires, the researchers surveyed 172 two-parent families including a child more than five years of age. Study participants reported on how many times each day various mobile devices disrupted activities or conversations with their children. They also indicated how often their children exhibited internalising behaviours such as sulking and externalising behaviours such as becoming easily frustrated.
The parents also told researchers about their own depression and stress levels and how often their children used screen media.
About 40% of the mothers and 32% of the fathers said that they suffered from some type of mobile phone addiction, including constantly thinking about incoming texts or calls, not being able to stop checking messages or just thinking that they use their phones too much.
This addictive-type behaviour resulted in what researchers called “technoference” in the way that these parents relate to their children, meaning that mobile or digital devices interrupted their everyday interactions, either during playtime, at meals or during face-to-face conversations.
During the six-month study period, almost 50% of the respondents said that technoference occurred at least three times each day, while 24% reported that it happened twice a day and 17% that it happened at least once a day. Only 11% of the respondents said that they did not experience these types of interruptions at all.
The researchers also found a close relationship between children’s’ poor behaviour and their mothers’ use of mobile phones rather than their fathers’ use. Researchers thought that the explanation for the difference is that children tend to spend more time with their mothers.
The study showed that more instances of technoference resulted in children displaying more behaviour problems, including frustration, sulking, temper tantrums, whining and hyperactivity.
Parents also said that they found it difficult to multitask between using their mobile devices and caring for their children, making it harder to recognise and respond to their children’s cues and deal with problem behaviour.
This study comes to light just as Manchester is about to become the first UK authority to start a public health campaign to address the communications breakdown between parents and their children due to the use of smartphones and other digital devices.
Health chiefs in the area say that children’s language development and speech suffer when parents spend too much time using their mobile phones or become distracted by listening to digital devices using headphones.
The campaign will include sending nudge-style texts that give parents suggestions on when and how they should talk to their children and when to curtail their use of mobile phones. Plans also include training health visitors on how to offer guidance to families on using mobile phones and digital devices.
A study by the National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT) revealed that 47% of heads thought that poor communication, language and speech skills are the biggest problem encountered by children beginning primary school.