In today’s technological world, the new generation has become dependent on devices to guide them through their daily lives.
Smartphones give us access to worldwide news in the palm of our hands, constantly updating us on current events and social media posts by friends and family.
Teens have especially become reliant on technology, tethered to phones that act as a portal between them and their entire social life and Internet image.
But what about us parents? Has this progressive trend influenced our lives as much as it has theirs?
An American study recently revealed that 52% of teenagers are aware of how reliant they are on technology and have tried to cut back.
Their parents are in agreement, as two-thirds of them are worried their kids spend too much time using devices. 57% of them have set boundaries for limited screen time as a result.
In a surprising turn, researchers discovered that a majority of children worry about their parents' dependency on technology as well.
While only 36% of parents admit to spending too much time on their phone, 51% of teens say they often find their parent to be distracted by their own cell phone when they are trying to have a conversation with them.
That’s 15% of parents who are not even aware of their constant screen time's effect on their children.
Furthermore, another 15% of parents say they often lose focus at work due to their mobile device’s distraction. That is almost double the number of teens (8%) who say they often lose focus in school due to their own cellphones.
This technological dependency has even gone as far as to have emotional effects: teens admitted they feel anxious (42%) and lonely (25%) without their phones on their person.
Parents also feel like they must have their devices on hand, confessing that they check their phones frequently. 20% of parents said that they feel the need to respond to messages immediately.
Overall, parents do feel like they are making the right decisions for their kids when it comes to their use of smart devices.
86% are confident that they know how much screen time is appropriate for their child.
This study gives us an interesting insight into technology's effect on the family unit and is a good reminder for parents to be wary of screen time usage, especially when our teens are trying to talk with us.
