How Children Are Affected When Parents Spend So Much Time on Mobile Phones

As parents, we all know that excessive screen time is bad for children. In fact, a recent study even tells us that it can lead to brain damage. This should be a serious warning for all of us to ensure that our kids do not stay stuck using their mobile devices all too often.

But have you ever imagined the negative effects if the roles are reversed? Some parents are guilty of spending too much time on their phones, too, right? And how exactly are the children affected when that happens?

Well a global survey gives us the answers.

Conducted by AVG Technologies, the said survey was answered by over 6,000 children from Brazil, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Czech Republic, France, Germany, United Kingdom, and the United States. The participants were composed of youngsters ages 8 to 13 years old.

According to the survey, 52% of children think their parents spend a lot of time on their mobile phones.

The results further tell us that 54% of parents agreed they feel like they are indeed setting a bad example for their children in terms of mobile device usage.

What’s even more heartbreaking is the fact that 32% of children said they feel unimportant when parents use mobile phones while eating, talking, watching TV, and playing outdoors.

One parent admitted:

“I do feel like the balance between the degree to which I use my mobile device to stay connected to work and my ability to be more present, available to my family, is quite out of balance.”

25% of parents likewise said that they hoped their kids used devices less.

As AVG Technologies Senior Security Evangelist Tony Anscombe explained:

“With our kids picking up mobile devices at an increasingly younger age, it is really important that we set good habits within the home, early on.

“Children take their cues from us for everything else, so it is only natural that they should do the same with device use.”

Meanwhile, a similar research done by by Digital Awareness UK and the Headmasters’ and Headmistresses’ Conference tells us that among 2,000 11 to 18-year-olds, 82% felt devices shouldn’t be used during meal times and 22% have said that excessive mobile usage have “stopped their families from enjoying each other’s company”.

DAUK co-founder Emma Robertson commented:

“We hope these findings will be a wake-up call for families and motivate them to have serious conversations about the safe and healthy use of technology.”