- Due to the negative effects of smartphone use during personal and social activities, parents aim to control how their children use these devices.
- However, existing media parenting advice does not fully reflect parents’ perspectives on these smartphone-related issues and their prevalence among children.
- This study sought to (i) determine how often children and adolescents engage in smartphone use during personal and relational activities, (ii) gauge parental disapproval of such use, and (iii) identify factors influencing this disapproval.
- Children and adolescents are constantly surrounded by various electronic devices, including televisions, computers, tablets, and smartphones.
- For elementary school children, smartphones are the most significant contributor to screen time, leading to excessive use that is linked to obesity, sleep issues, cognitive impairments, and reduced psychological well-being.
- Studies have shown that smartphone usage by elementary-aged children before bed is linked to sleep disturbances, and using smartphones while walking increases the risk of accidents. For teenagers, using platforms like WhatsApp during learning sessions harms memory and academic performance.
- An earlier qualitative study highlighted that many parents of teenagers were deeply concerned about how smartphone use affects their kids’ mental health, physical well-being, social skills, and exposure to online dangers like cyberbullying.
- Experts advocate for regulating children's screen usage, emphasizing that this responsibility primarily falls on parents.
- The lack of affection from parents can lead to and stem from children’s problematic use of screen media, with conflicts over screen time linked to lower well-being and a higher risk of suicide attempts among adolescents.
- In conclusion, while parents are encouraged to manage their children's screen use, it is essential they maintain a constructive attitude towards media and a healthy relationship with their children to enhance the effectiveness of their regulatory efforts.
Rephrase and summarize these given paragraphs in your own words
1. Given the negative outcomes associated with smartphone use during personal and relational activities (SUPRA), parents strive to regulate its use among their children.
2. However, media parenting recommendations lack knowledge of parental views on SUPRA and their relative occurrence in youths.
3. This study aimed to (i) estimate SUPRA frequency among children and adolescents, (ii) assess parental dislike (PD) of SUPRA, and (iii) identify predic tors of PD of SUPRA.
4. Children and adolescents grow up surrounded by devices with electronic screens, such as tele visions, computers, tablets and smartphones.
5. Among elementary school-aged children, smart phones are the major source of screen time, contributing significantly to excessive screen use, which has been found to be related to adiposity (obesity), lack of sleep and poor sleep quality [3–5], impairment of attention and other cognitive functions, and overall decrease in psychological well-being among children and adolescents.
6. In elementary school-aged children, the use of smartphones before or at bedtime was found to be associated with night-time awakenings and/or sleep disturbances. Using smartphones while walking was shown to be associated with an increased risk of pedestrian accidents and injuries. In teenagers, SU (WhatsApp) during learning led to decreased working memory performance and lower overall learning efficiency.
7. An older qualitative study revealed that most parents of adolescents expressed the high concern around their children smartphone use and its effect on their adolescents’ mental health and behaviors (e.g., energy levels, ability to focus, time management or tendency to violence), physical health (e.g., eyesight, postures, bodily discomfort, physical activity level), social development (e.g., social skills, family bonding) and specific online risks (e.g., cyberbul lying).
8. Experts urge that screen media use in children should be regulated [29, 30] and that this responsibility relies mostly on parents.
9. The lack of parental warmth may be both the cause and the result of children’s problematic screen media use. It has been argued that parent–child conflicts over (the extent of) SU may occur and are associated with decreased well-being and increased probability of suicide attempts among adolescents.
10. In summary, parents are prompted to regulate their children’s screen media use, but they should try to maintain a positive attitude towards screen media and a positive relationship with their child to avoid sabotaging their regulative efforts.
1 answer