Cellphone-distracted parenting can hinder your child's brain development, says study

Cellphones are a big part of our lives. It makes work and managing the home a whole lot easier.

But, according to a recent study published in Translational Psychiatry, cellphone usage poses certain hazards to our baby’s development.

Though it was not done on humans but on mice, the researchers hope to shed light on this real possibility in the hope that parents will not take this for granted.

“What we are proposing is that there is a sensitive period in which maternal care needs to provide consistent patterns and sequences of behavior so the baby’s brain can perceive them to develop normally and emotionally,” Dr. Tallie Baram, one of the study’s authors told Time.

Cellphone-distracted parenting: Emotionally stunted despite the necessities

The researchers raised two sets of mice in almost the same setting. The only difference was that one set was placed in an environment which did not contain the necessary tools the mother rat needed to build a proper nest for her mice.

Researchers observed that the mice in this environment received less attention because their mother spent more time improvising in order to find enough materials to build a nest with.

The development of the two sets of mice and mother rats were then compared. They realized that even with the basic necessities for survival, the mice still weren’t thriving in terms of emotional growth and development.

Lasting effects of paying attention

The researchers also found that the simple act of being paid attention to when they were just mice had lasting effects on them as they grew.

Aside from having a healthier appetite, they were found to be more sociable.

Even if research done on mice has received mixed reviews due to misleading results. Many believe that the published study has uncovered something worth pursuing.

Focused nurturing goes a long way.

Constantly neglected children: significantly underdeveloped

A previous study also found that the brains of constantly neglected children are significantly underdeveloped. This lack of emotional connection can physically affect the way your baby’s brain develops.

Neglected children were also found to be more friendly towards strangers, which can be considered dangerous behavior.

The researchers plan to cement the credibility of the project by eventually taking on human subjects. They plan to do so by analyzing human brain images to find out if the nature and consistency of their mother’s behavior affect the children’s ability to thrive emotionally and socially.

Techno conference: Technology interfering with relationships

Social scientists have coined a new term called techno conference, which depicts how technology is interfering with relationships, especially that of a parent and a child. This can have severe implications for babies and young children, including decreased emotional well-being, missed attention, fewer conversations, bad child behavior, delayed language development, and even child injuries.

Cellphone-distracted parenting: Are you a digitally-distracted parent?

Do you:

1. Often find yourself using your phone while talking to your child?
2. Miss a lot of precious moments (games? Recitals? because you were on your phone?
3. Always have the urge to pick up your phone and check you socials?
4. Use your phone while feeding your baby?
5. Check your phone at stoplights?
6. Use your phone in bed or sleep with it?
7.  Rely on gadgets to keep your child entertained?

If you answered yes to most of these questions, keep on reading! Let’s discuss how digitally-distracted parents are affecting their children’s development.

Cellphone-distracted parenting and how it affects child development

As much as parents worry about their children’s screen time, studies show should also look after their own digital use.

The use of cellphones has long been reason behind many unfortunate situations such as trouble sleeping, car accidents, stress, and more. But now, emerging studies show concern over cellphone-distracted parents affecting the development and growth of their children.

Cellphones connect us to home and work, at any time of the day, sometimes even at both times. Mobile phones provide for constant connectivity, but this makes it more difficult to control and can lead to distracted parenting.

Technology expert Linda Stone talks about continuous partial attention more than 20 years ago. Physically, parents are always present in their children’s life, but they are becoming less and less emotionally aware.

When parents are always distracted with their phones – on Instagram, taking calls, answering texts – the child’s cueing system, which is so important for early learning, is disrupted.

While parents are believed to spend more time today with their children than in the past, the quality of those interactions is regarded to have declined.

One study shows that infants who were exposed to interactive, emotionally sensitive speaking style between the ages of 11 and 14 months knew twice as many words by the age of two as those who were not.

Furthermore, an experiment found out that 9-month-old newborns who got a few hours of Mandarin instruction from a live human were able to separate specific phonetic features in the language, whereas babies who received the same training through video were unable to do so.

According to Hirsh-Pasek, a professor at Temple University and a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, as mentioned in The Atlantic:

“Language is the single best predictor of school achievement and the key to strong language skills are those back-and-forth fluent conversations between young children and adults.”

Hirsh-Pasek stresses that toddlers are unable to learn when we suddenly pick up our cellphones and/or glance at the text that flashes across our displays.

The dangers of distracted parenting

Moreover, while digital distraction may not impose an obvious threat, chronic digital distraction poses dangers of distracted parenting.  Digitally distracted parents manifest addiction in the way they respond to their children:

1. When their phone use is interrupted, distracted adults become annoyed; they not only miss but also misread emotional cues.
2. A tuned-out parent may be more prone to rage than an involved parent, mistaking a child’s deceptive behavior for her desire for attention.

Young children will go to great lengths to obtain a distracted adult’s attention. If we don’t adjust our behavior, they will either try to do it for us or throw a lot more tantrums.

According to another study, more than one-third of children aged 8 to 13 felt unimportant when their parents used a phone during family time. Children whose parents are preoccupied with their phones during family gatherings may feel as if they are fighting for attention. Which can lead to their behaving out because they are sad, angry, or lonely.

Moreover, parents who were extremely tech-distracted had children who behaved out more frequently through misbehaviors, attention seeking, and violence, according to research published in the Journal of Child Development. Children whose parents were distracted by technology also manifested greater rates of depression and anxiety.

Being digitally-distracted can also cause injuries. According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, more than 200,000 children aged 14 and under are treated in emergency departments in the United States each year for playground-related injuries. Not to mention the accidents children get involved in while a parent is texting while driving.

How to combat the dangers of cellphone-distracted parenting

Be present physically, mentally, and emotionally with your child by following these simple tips:

1. Set aside a time each day when you’re not using your phone. For example, as soon as your child gets home from school, or when you decide to go to the park. Make sure that you are phone-free and that you are completely present with them.
2. When you get a text while talking to your child, let it finish first.
3. You can also silent your phone from notifications so you won’t be bothered while you’re at home.
4. Leave your phone away from bed, the same with your kids.
5. Strike a conversation or discussion with your children during family mealtimes. Also ban the use of any gadgets on the dinner table.
6. Keep track of your screen time every week. Take note of improvements.
7. Refrain from using cellphones or gadgets as a distraction to your kid. Mix it up by bringing mind games that they can get busy with.

You are not a bad parent for using your phone all the time. There may be days that work gets demanding or you might really have an important call. What’s important is consciously being completely present for your child when he or she needs you and talks to you.

The way parents police their child’s on their screen time should also be how you limit your screen time and monitor its effects.

Digitally-distracted parents don’t just harm themselves; they harm their children too.

Additional information from Margaux Dolores