2024-08-16 18:17:00
Parents can harm their children’s mental health with cell phone use
It is a situation that repeats itself millions of times a day and can harm the mental health of children aged 9 to 11 whose parents spend a lot of time on their smartphones, creating anxiety, depression attention and hyperactivity problems.
A psychology group at the University of Calgary in Alberta found that parents of children spend an average of more than five hours on their smartphones each day, with a smartphone looking at 27% of the time they spend with the child they talk Another study found that 68% of parents admit that they are often distracted by their smartphones while talking to their children.
Research has shown that this type of “technoconferencing” in the time of parenting means less attention to children, less talk and play between parents and children, and even the risk of harm to children. During adolescence, technology is linked to higher levels of parent-child conflict and lower levels of emotional support and warmth from parents.
The Calgary team analyzed data from more than a thousand Canadian children aged 9 to 11, provided at different points in time between 2020 and early 2022. The children were asked to what extent they agreed with the statement like “I want my parents to be less. time on their phones and other devices” or “I’m upset that my parents are on their phones or other devices when we spend time together.” Children are also screened for a variety of mental health problems, such as anxiety, depression , hyperactivity and inattention that develop over time.
According to Madigan’s group, higher levels of child anxiety symptoms were associated with higher levels of parenting skills found later in development.
The amount of time parents spend on smartphones is also associated with higher levels of anxiety and depression symptoms later in development, the study authors said. The extent of these effects in children does not appear to change regardless of whether the child is a girl or a boy.
The team noted that they focused on children aged 9 to 11 because this age range represents a sensitive period of brain development and is associated with a higher risk of mental health problems. However, it is difficult to determine the direction of the effect: Do children have better anxiety and behavior because their parents are glued to their smartphones, or do parents of children with behavioral problems turn into their smartphones as a way out?
Based on new data, it appears that having more anxious children can push tired parents to use their smartphones more, but such excessive parental smartphone use can encourage carelessness and neglect in young people in development. Overall, the research reveals complex relationships between parental technology and adolescent mental health,
The team published the findings today in the journal JAMA Network Open.
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