A dad has revealed that his obsession with his phone started to have a negative impact on his relationship with his children.
Brad Kearns is encouraging parents to put their phones away. He believes spending time with your kids is far more important than scrolling through your Instagram feed.
The dad-of-two said that his phone was making him neglect his sons, Knox and Finn.
Brad took a much-needed break from social media when he realised just how damaging his habit was. One day at home, he didn’t even see his three-year-old son Knox: “I didn’t even notice him at first, but he was clearly trying to get my attention.”
The young boy was trying to show his dad one of his toys. Knox hadn’t seen his father in two days due to Brad’s work commitments, and the tot wanted to spend some time with his dad.
Brad said, “He was trying to show me one of his cars. I didn’t even look up from my phone when I replied, ‘Wow mate that’s a cool one.’”
The toddler tried his best to get his dad’s attention, but Brad told his son to go away and to play with his brother instead.
Kearns was so engrossed in what was happening in the world of social media. He said, "He missed me, yet I was too busy to even look up from my phone.”
Shortly afterward the dad was hit with a wave of guilt. He hugely regretted what he said to his son.
Brad decided to fix his mistake, and asked his young son if he wanted to spend some time with him. He went on to share that Knox was over the moon when his dad asked him to play.
Brad spent some well overdue quality time with his son for the rest of the day, “We played all day, and I left my phone on the bench.”
Brad has now urged parents to abandon technology, especially when they are spending time with their children, “We need to put the phone down when we’re with them.”
Researchers found that 67 percent of people in Ireland have a Facebook account; 25 percent have Twitter accounts, and 23 percent are Instagram users.
These figures are constantly growing each year as social media plays a significant role in our day to day lives.
Last month, the National Institutes of Health in the United States, funded a two-year study that will investigate internet addiction.
