More than just a social faux pas, a recent study from Canada, published in JAMA Network Open, found that parental smartphone use, a phenomena known as ‘technoference,’ while with their children can be detrimental to their mental health.
Some research in the past has found that parents of infants are now spending over five hours daily on their smartphones, with 27% of that time coinciding with interactions with their baby while. Others have found that 68% of parents admitted to being frequently distracted by their smartphones while engaging with their children.
Psychologists from the University of Calgary have uncovered that children between the ages of 9 and 11, who perceive their parents as spending excessive time on smartphones, are more likely to exhibit anxiety, attention problems, and hyperactivity as they grow older.
For their study, the authors analyzed data from over a thousand Canadian children between the ages of 9 to 11, collected at multiple intervals between 2020 and early 2022. The children were asked to respond to statements like “I wish my parent would spend less time on their phone and other devices” and “I get frustrated with my parent for being on their phone or other devices when we’re spending time together.” Additionally, the children were assessed for various mental health issues, including anxiety, depression, hyperactivity, and inattention, that developed over time.
The study revealed a clear connection: higher levels of perceived parental technoference were associated with increased anxiety symptoms in children as they developed. Furthermore, excessive parental smartphone use was linked to greater levels of inattention and hyperactivity in these young adolescents. Importantly, the effects appeared to an independent factor outside of others.
The consequences of this technoference are far-reaching. Previous research has shown that when parents are preoccupied with their devices, they tend to pay less attention to their children, engage in fewer conversations, and participate in less playtime. Alarmingly, it has also been linked to an increased risk of childhood injuries. During adolescence, this parental distraction correlates with higher levels of parent-child conflict and diminished emotional support and warmth from parents.
Interestingly, the study also highlights a complex dynamic. It raises the question of causality: Are children becoming more anxious and exhibiting behavioral problems because their parents are overly engaged with their smartphones, or are parents turning to their smartphones as a coping mechanism for dealing with already challenging child behaviors? The data suggests a bidirectional relationship—more anxious children may drive parents to seek solace in their smartphones, which in turn could exacerbate inattention and hyperactivity in the children.
Overall, this research underscores the intricate interplay between parental smartphone use and the emerging mental health of adolescents, calling attention to the potential long-term consequences of technoference on the next generation.
Child development of children are highly dependent on their parents for guidance, example, and protection. It is important to that when we are with our children to put away our smartphones to give them our full, undivided attention. Examples of such good time is during play, over meals, while teaching them something, or taking them out for excursions.
AA Deneault et al. Perceived Parental Distraction by Technology and Mental Health Among Emerging Adolescents. JAMA Network Open (2024). doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.28261
