Are You a Digitally Distracted Parent?
It’s not just kids who are overdoing screen time. Parents are often just as guilty of spending too much time checking smartphones and e-mail — and the consequences for their children can be troubling. National Public Radio examines the consequences for children of digitally distracted parents. Read more: For The Children’s Sake, Put Down That Smartphone.
Catherine Steiner-Adair, a clinical and consulting psychologist at Harvard, recently wrote The Big Disconnect: Protecting Family and Childhood relationships in the Digital Age. For her book, she interviewed more than 1,000 kids from the ages of 4 to 18. She talked to hundreds of teachers and parents. She noted that children reported “feeling exhausted and frustrated and sad or mad trying to get their parents’ attention, competing with computer screens or iPhone screens or any kind of technology, much like in therapy you hear kids talk about sibling rivalry.” Read more: When Parents Are The Ones Too Distracted By Devices
For tips on how parents can make the best of technology with their children, read Parents, Kids, and Gadgets.
For suggestions on how to protect your child in a digital world, read Screen Time and Electronics.