Study Finds That Smartphones Are Bad For Family Life

Most of us have our smartphones deeply integrated into our day-to-day lives. The smartphone has been a blessing, a handy little gadget that has replaced our digital camera, portable audio player, and several other gadgets.

The smartphone has completely changed the way we do things, it has changed the way we communicate and interact with other people. As with most modern technology, the smartphone has its own shortcomings. We published an article warning that smartphone addiction causes depression and anxiety.
Parenting while using smartphone
Image credit: Sally Anscombe / Flickr Select / Getty Image

A new study conducted by researchers from the University of Michigan concludes that smartphones have negative effects on family life. The survey conducted gave an insight into how these devices impact parenting, and about 35 caregivers were interacted with to deduce the finding. These include fathers, mothers, grandmothers and single parents. It was discovered that extended use of devices while parenting made it impossible for participants to effectively balance their lives.


Dr. Jenny Radesky, the study lead author said:

Parents are constantly feeling like they are in more than one place at once while parenting. They’re still ‘at work.’ They’re keeping up socially. All while trying to cook dinner and attend to their kid.
Although smartphones let parents keep up with work even at home, this multitasking affects interaction with kids in certain ways. Radesky continued:

It’s much harder to toggle between mom or dad brain and other aspects of life because the boundaries have all blurred together. We wanted to understand how this was affecting parents emotionally. We found that parents are struggling to balance family time and the desire to be present at home with technology-based expectations like responding to work and other demands.
Since smart devices cause negative interaction with children, the researchers advised that parents can find a way to minimize stress by creating device-free time at dinner and bedtime. It is also advised that unnecessary use of gadgets at home should be avoided. The study was published in the Journal of Developmental & Behavioral Pediatrics.