A team of researchers from Edith Cowan University has found that most modern parents cannot agree on the regulation of their children’s screen time. Since there is no rule on managing this emerging problem, most parents surveyed in a recent poll said that their children’s use of smartphones and tablets leads to most disagreements.
According to researchers, most millennials are “winging it” or figuring out their children’s digital media behaviors as they move along. They claim that the use of smartphones by kids and teenagers is a major cause of family disputes. In the beginning, researchers wanted to know how much today’s parents felt smartphones and other gadgets impact their children’s development and behavior.
In addition, researchers think their study highlights how critical it is to inform parents about how electronic media affects children’s behavior. The poll included 281 Australian parents, and 75% reported family conflict, stress, and arguments related to mobile device use. It’s fascinating to note, however, that over one-third of respondents never looked for formal rules on kids’ usage of digital entertainment.
Parents are dealing with children who want to live a sedentary lifestyle. Besides their smartphone habits, parents reported that their children had challenges finishing tasks, didn’t exercise, had sleep problems, they are socially withdrawn and engaged in excessive gaming. It is not quite obvious how parents should handle their children’s screen time, despite research showing that cell phones and other devices negatively affect children’s development.
Lead study author and Ph.D. student Stephanie Milford said that what is remarkable is that relatively few families cited information about screen time from authentic sources like GPs, educators, or counselors, despite parents claiming high levels of rebellious conduct, such as arguing. Instead, the findings indicate that parents are utilizing unofficial sites, which may be a sign that the current recommendations regarding the use of digital technology are either unclear or ineffective for their intended use.