Put that phone away!

I recently chanced on a video on WhatsApp about some children on a protest march in Hamburg in Germany against the excessive use of smartphones by their parents. This protest was led by a seven-year-old. His plea was for parents to “play with me, not with your smartphone”.

Isn’t that sad? It is very sad for children to beg their parents to have time for them rather than spending so much time on their phones. Someone may wonder how their phone habits affect their children. Well, it does!

When parents spend more time online, it means they are spending less time with their children. Smartphones have made it possible to have so many apps that come with several notifications that constantly distracts.

There is no doubt that technology has become relevant in all aspects of our lives these days. Despite the comfort it brings us, it can be harmful if not used wisely.

The abundance of apps often makes it impossible to just pick up your phone to do one thing without being distracted by other apps you have on your phone.

They are designed to easily catch your attention and be engrossed in them. We are curious to know the stories that are trending on social media, to see people’s comments on a post, to check people’s status, to post our latest photos, etc.

Children learn through interactions. Right from birth, babies begin to learn from the interactions their caregivers have with them.

These interactions include parents smiling back when baby smiles, hugging baby when they cry, repeating the sound they make when they babble. Reciprocal (back and forth) interactions such as these help develop the communication skills of children.

These interactions also help with emotional development and bonding. When parents are addicted to their devices, their children are deprived of these valuable opportunities to develop their communication skills.

Impact

Parents’ smartphone addiction has the potential to cause emotional and behavioural problems in children, among others.

It is reported that children can become more whingy, frustrated, hyperactive, etc., when their parents are unresponsive, as a result of distraction from the use of technology.

In extreme cases, children have ended up in emergency rooms because they suffered a domestic accident that resulted from their parents being distracted by their phones.

While parents cannot give up their phones, it is advisable to manage time spent on their phone so that they don’t impact on the time spent with family.

Do you really need all the apps installed on your phone? Which ones are a necessity? Could you delete the ones that are not really a necessity, so that you can have just a few to reduce the distraction?

Dedicate a time in the day as a ‘no phone’ time, e.g., during meal times. During this period, engage in meaningful interactions with your children. Get to know how their day went. Showing your children that you are interested in their daily lives helps you to bond with them.

It also helps develop their self-esteem. Remember that the relationship you build with them now is relevant to their future and your ongoing relationship with them.

‘Put that phone away! Spend time with me!’

The writer is Speech & Language Therapist/Clinical Tutor, University of Ghana. E-mail: jobamp@hotmail.com