Are you dumb about your smartphone use?
We're constantly hearing about how social media use is harming kids who get bullied, shamed, and lead astray by the onslaught of "advice" they pick up on their phones from TikTok, Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram.
Well, Mom and Dad, you're not exempt from harmful digital obsessions and having them do harm to ... your kids! A new study in JAMA Network Open tracked parents and children from birth to adolescence to see what impact "parental technoference" had on the children's mental health. It turns out that anxiety, inattention and hyperactivity are all amped up in kids whose parents ignored them frequently because they are glued to their phone.
The problem is widespread. One study found that parents spend 27% of the time with their infant engaged with their digital device and two-thirds of U.S. parents admit they're distracted by their smartphones during interactions with their kids. (We think that's an underestimate.) When kids feel dissed (and they do!), it leads to conflicts and fractured family relationships.
How can you break your phone habits? A book, "Managing Your Gaming and Social Media Habits: From Science to Solution," suggests that you become more self-aware by keeping a phone diary, writing down the times you are on your phone and why. Also, turn your phone off when you are playing or out with your child, or at least mute notifications. Then, to make your shared screen time with your kids more beneficial, check out "4 Consequences of More Screen Time + What to Do About It" on iHerb.com/blog.
Dr. Mike Roizen is the founder of www.longevityplaybook.com, and Dr. Mehmet Oz is global advisor to www.iHerb.com, the world's leading online health store. Roizen and Oz are chief wellness officer emeritus at Cleveland Clinic and professor emeritus at Columbia University, respectively. Together they have written 11 New York Times bestsellers (four No. 1's).
(c)2024 Michael Roizen, M.D.
Distributed by King Features Syndicate, Inc.
(c) 2024 Michael Roizen, M.D. Distributed by King Features Syndicate, Inc.
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