|
|
Post by M. Hawbaker on Aug 23, 2019 14:11:27 GMT
A parent’s use of tech in front of their kids linked to behavioral problems, says a study coming out of two United States universities. The University of Michigan alongside Illinois State University conducted a study of 170 two-parent families to find out whether a parents’ use of technology impacts their children’s behavior. Their findings may surprise lots of phone-loving moms and dads.
Researchers watched as parents used their phones and tablets around their children and noted what happened as a result. They counted how many times a child whined, misbehaved, or threw a temper tantrum while mom and dad were on their phones. What they discovered is that even a low, or what some consider to be a ‘normal’ amount of technology use by parents, often resulted in behavioral problems in their children.
The researchers found that when parents are on their phones, repeatedly checking text messages and scrolling Facebook, they aren’t engaged with their children. Seems pretty easy to understand. It’s hard to give kids the attention they require and deserve when we parents are paying attention to the computers we hold in our hands.
|
|
|
|
Post by M. Hawbaker on Aug 23, 2019 14:15:10 GMT
They really needed to do a study to figure out that when young children feel ignored by their parents they will act up to get attention?
|
|
|
|
Post by barb43 on Aug 24, 2019 13:47:31 GMT
Oh, yeh - all I needed to do was get on the telephone & the boys needed something RIGHT NOW!, or got they into an argument. It was almost always something ridiculous. That was in the days before cell phones & computers. Nowadays, the dogs demand attention if I'm on the phone, or they think I've been on the computer too long. What gets me about that story is it's another case of labeling kids as having problems or disorders instead of working to solving the problem in home. Good grief, what did people do all those decades before we had instant mental health diagnoses?  |
|
|
|
Post by M. Hawbaker on Aug 24, 2019 13:56:09 GMT
Good grief, what did people do all those decades before we had instant mental health diagnoses? They (for the most part) actually dealt with their problems instead of finding something or someone to blame? |
|
|
|
Post by barb43 on Aug 24, 2019 14:31:02 GMT
Good grief, what did people do all those decades before we had instant mental health diagnoses? They (for the most part) actually dealt with their problems instead of finding something or someone to blame?  You're absolutely right. And some kids turned out well, and others didn't. In some families the parents worked at raising their children with 'good' morals, values, a work ethic ... they worked on issues the kids had, whether at home or in school. In other families, where the parents weren't as attentive or skillful, the kids may have had another family member or neighbor or favorite teacher who instilled some good things in them. Most kids prior to the late 90s turned out at least okay. I really noticed the change in the late 90s but by then I had some long-term substitute teaching jobs, and had teachers who were friends, so I was getting an earful of the popular ideas about what needed to be done. Plus, I was in grad school, taking all of those psych courses, attending conferences, presenting papers, and getting a headful of all of that line of thinking.  We really do need mental health professionals - it's become a highly underfunded field. But, we don't need to diagnose, label, and medically dose a large population of our children. Okay, I'll get off my  now. |
|
|
|
Post by M. Hawbaker on Aug 24, 2019 15:05:35 GMT
We really do need mental health professionals - it's become a highly underfunded field. But, we don't need to diagnose, label, and medically dose a large population of our children. I agree. One thing that I have been seeing more and more of in recent years is a tendency for so many "over active" kids to be doped half out of their minds by their parents and doctors rather than turning off their devices for a while and sending them outside to burn off all that extra energy. I remember when I was young, any day that we didn't have school, whenever the weather allowed it, my friends and I would be outside playing from just after breakfast until it started to get dark.  |
|
You're absolutely right. And some kids turned out well, and others didn't. In some families the parents worked at raising their children with 'good' morals, values, a work ethic ... they worked on issues the kids had, whether at home or in school. In other families, where the parents weren't as attentive or skillful, the kids may have had another family member or neighbor or favorite teacher who instilled some good things in them. Most kids prior to the late 90s turned out at least okay. 
now. 