Checking work emails, liking Instagram, and writing Facebook statuses while talking to your child negatively affects children's behavior, pediatricians warn.
A new study by researchers at the University of Michigan, published in the journal Child Development, concludes that children's problems are directly influenced by parents' behaviors.
"Technoference" is precisely the term that researchers have chosen to describe the gap that is created in the parent-child relationship thanks to technology.
The study included more than 170 American families. On average, parents use two technological devices that interfere with their connection with their children. Nearly half of the participants (48%) said they had three or more “technoreferences” every day. The further away the parents were from their children, the more aggressive signs the children showed.
As parents become fascinated with cell phones, they are putting their children at risk.
"Serious accidents happen in seconds, often while parents are distracted by their cell phones and disconnected from reality," the researchers say.
