We have this perception of kids and teenagers as being the ones who are more crippled by onscreen addiction, unable to step away from their devices for longer than a couple of minutes. But a new report reveals that their parents are just as affected. Is anyone really surprised?
The New York Post reports that over 1,000 parents and their children were surveyed for a by Common Sense Media, a company that was interested in the effects technology has on families. One third of children and a quarter of the parents surveyed said that they checked their phones in the middle of the night at least once for reasons other than checking the time.
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Parents and kids reported that phone and device usage had lead to arguments within the family and that it interrupts meal times. When compared to results gathered in previous years, family members are now more concerned and affected by their phone habits. Here are some of the most important results that the survey compiled:
- 39% of teenagers wish their parents would get off their device, up from 28% in 2016.
- 45% of parents say they feel addicted to their mobile device, up from 27% in 2016.
- 38% of teens feel their parent is addicted to their mobile device, up from 28% in 2016.
- 52% of parents say they spend too much time on their devices up from 29% in 2016.
While a large percentage of parents and children claimed that tech usage didn’t affect their relationships, 28% of the parents surveyed believed that their child’s phone usage had harmed their relationship in one way or another.
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According to the researchers behind the survey, parents who are concerned with their kids’ tech habits should monitor their own smartphone usage, since that instructs children on how to behave at home. Enforcing device-free dinners and activities could also be another way of ensuring that technology doesn’t take over your home.
