Distracted Parents
In “The Dangers of Distracted Parenting,” Erika Christakis argues that parents are becoming so obsessed with their phones which is distracting them from their children. It is easy to get distracted with a noise, or a buzz, however that diversion becomes a huge issue when it begins to interfere with the emotional and cognitive bond between a child and the parent. When parents get distracted while trying to watch a toddler, it can be a very dangerous game. Children are unpredictable and often like to run off, and if you are preoccupied with what is happening on your phone it is easy and much more likely for an accident to happen.
Phones and tablets distract people extremely easily with everyday things which include driving, walking, or even watching your child when you go out. When parents stop focusing on the child’s safety and are more worried about notifications on their phone, it then puts the children in harm’s way and many horrible accidents are open to happening if the child is not being watched. Many people give young children a hard time for playing with electronics at such a young age, but it is the parents that need to be talked to. The reason why children have a tablet or know how to use one is most likely because their parents allow them to use it. Christakis stated that “more than screen-obsessed young children, we should be concerned about tuned-out parents.” In the beginning of 2010 researchers in Boston watched 55 families in a restaurant to see what the family interacted with more, electronics or the children. As it turns out, 40 out of the 55 parents were so tuned into their phone, that when the children begged for attention, the parents neglected everything they were saying. The more often parents get distracted with notifications or conversations happening on their phone, the more often accidents are going to happen.
Another point Christakis makes in her article is how when parents spend most of their time on a screen, the children are more likely to as well. Studies show that “the average age of onset of “regular” screen use has gone from four years to just four months.” Children should have a chance to be kids, and have an endless imagination instead of being occupied on a screen at as little as less than a year old. Children should be playing outside and exploring fun possibilities with their friends and also learning how to socialize with people face-to-face rather than screen-to-screen. The more parents that become “screen obsessed” the more negative impacts it has on children.
I agree with what the author is expressing and the numerous examples that the author has given causes me to see how big of a problem this is. Time spent on devices is time not spent socializing with other people. Parents have more time with their children today but the quality has decreased because they are physically there, however emotionally they are somewhat detached because their focus is on their phone. Distracted parents are slow to see what the child needs and can then make a negative impact on the children’s cognitive development. The importance of conversation is key so strong language skills for children and if their parents are barely talking to them or paying attention to them, that has a bad impact on the child’s social patterns and abilities.
I can relate to this issue as a gymnastics coach, I can see parents from the viewing window and instead of watching their child do gymnastics they are glued to their phones and they barely ever look up. Many times when a younger child notices their parent is not watching them they get very upset and it soils their mood for the rest of practice. In the article “Kids Feel Unimportant to Cell Phone-Addicted Parents” Ellen Stum Niz says how the kids said they had to compete with technology for their parents’ attention. I also agree with this statement from my own experience and it clearly has a negative impact on the children.
A June study by AVG Technologies “discovered that 32 percent of children felt unimportant when their moms and dads were distracted by their phones.” It is not enough for the parent to just glance up from their phone and give the child a simple acknowledgement. Children need more from their parents and they need more interaction and balance between the attention they get from their parents and the phone. They lack the emotional impact that these young children need as part of their development. The studies show that more than half of parents were concerned that their use of cell phones is setting a bad example for their children.
Not only do disconnected parents cause child developmental problems, this can also lead to relationship issues, loss of empathy, sleep disturbances, car fatalities, and sadly the list goes on. Adults spending time on devices is a larger problem than people think and it should be looked at much more seriously. The balance between children’s emotional needs and parents use of electronic devices is an issue that if not dealt with, will result in cognitive and emotional disturbances in children.
Sources:
Christakis, Erika. “The Dangers of Distracted Parenting.” The Atlantic, Atlantic Media Company, 16 June 2018, www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2018/07/the-dangers-of-distracted-parenting/561752/
“Kids Feel Unimportant to Cell Phone-Addicted Parents.” Parenting, 15 July 2015, www.parenting.com/news-break/kids-feel-unimportant-to-cell-phone-addicted-parents