Parents, turn off the phone

PARENTS who focus on their phones during family time are breeding bad behaviour in their kids.

The growing problem of “technoference”, where technological devices interfere with face-to-face contact, is hitting children hard, new research shows.

Lack of personal contact at playtime, mealtimes and bedtime can influence long-term relationships, the study in journal Paediatric Research found.

Kids are more prone to frustration, hyperactivity, whining, sulking or tantrums as they battle for their parents’ attention. And parents are more hostile when their offspring try to get their attention.

Medical researchers from Illinois State University and University of Michigan found that in most families at least one device disrupted parentchild time every day.

Australian Bureau of Statistics data shows 97 per cent of households with children under 15 have internet access. Smartphones are used by 91 per cent of connected households.

Brisbane child psychologist Dr Judith Locke said parents need not be shamed for using a phone around a child, but it was vital certain times, such as dinner time, were reserved for face-to-face communication.

“Kids, like adults, need to feel valued and important, so turning off the phones for a short time a day is simply showing them respect,” Dr Locke said.

Technology could serve as a refuge for parents who had to cope with difficult child behaviour, but hiding behind a screen was inflaming the problem, researchers found.

Brisbane mother Lily Carlyle does her best to prevent screen time during dinner.

“Phones are a big part of our lives, but I can see that face-toface contact is vital with the kids,” she said. “Harvey, at 4, is just starting to build relationships and he particularly needs that personal contact.”