Encomium
In the technology age, study shows that kids aren’t the only one addicted to technology, parents have also caught the bug. Parent’s use of mobile technology may be causing conflicts and negative relations with their kids, a new study warned.
According to the study, parents are advised to be disciplined with their mobile usage, set boundaries and stay away from web activities once in a while. It was found that smartphones and tablets are used by parents at least three hours everyday.
A new study from the University of Michigan Health System, USA, revealed that technology has come between work, home and social lives, making parents struggle to find a healthy balance.
Child behaviour expert and pediatrician, Jenny Radesky explained, “Parents are constantly feeling like they are in more than one place at once while parenting. They’re keeping up socially. All while trying to cook dinner and attend to their kids.”
While doing the study, Radesky and team employed 35 caregivers consisting of moms and dads. They found that each parent was distracted and caught between multitasking mobile phone use, work and taking care of their children.
Radesky says, “It’s much harder to juggle between mom or dad’s brain and other aspects of life because the boundaries have all blurred together. We found that parents are struggling to balance family time and the desire to be present at home with technology-based expectations like responding to work and other demands…
“You don’t have to be available to your children 100 percent of the time — in fact, it’s healthy for them to be independent. It’s also important for parents to feel relevant at work and other parts of their lives.”
However, parents are often tired from being pulled in so many different directions.
