Parents express their sadness that their teenagers always have their noses in their phones. But they might need to rethink their own screen time.
A study came out from the Pew Research Center. It found that two-thirds of parents are concerned about the amount of time their teenage children spend in front of screens. But more than a third of parents expressed concern about their own screen time. Meanwhile, more than half of teens had an observation. They often or sometimes find their parents or caregivers distracted when the teens are trying to have a conversation with them. The study calls teens' relationship with their phones at times "hyperconnected". It notes that nearly three-fourths check messages or notifications as soon as they wake up. Parents do the same. But parents do it at a lower rate—57%. This is still substantial.
Big tech companies face a growing strong opposition. There are complaints against the addictive nature of their apps. People complain about the endless notifications and other features. They say they are created to keep people tethered(拴) to their screens.
Many teens are trying to do something about it.52% of teens have cut back on the time they spend on their phones and 57% have done the same with social media.
Experts say parents have a big role in their kids' screen habits and setting a good example is a big part of it. "Kids don't always do what we say but they do as we do," said Donald Shifrin. He is a professor of pediatrics. He teaches at the University of Washington School of Medicine. He was not involved in the Pew study. "Parents are the door that kids will walk through on their way to the world. " The study surveyed 743 U. S. teens and 1,058 U. S. parents of teens. It was conducted from March 7 to April 10.
