Wherever I go, I am witness to people with a phone in their hand and their eyes glued to the screen. Just this week as I was on the beach, traveling in a car, eating in a restaurant, and catching a plane, I was hard pressed to find someone without their phone in their hand. I know this is nothing new. This phone in hand act is our new normal.
Why does this bother me so? Admittedly, I too spend time scrolling through my feed, catching up on email, and reading the latest headlines. This new normal bothers me as I watch children who are vying for attention from the physically present yet interpersonally disconnected adult next to them. This new normal was brought to my attention this year as students wrote about things they would like to change. The assignment was not geared toward changes within their family structure just free write about something they would like to change. Many students wrote about changing how much time their grown-ups spend on their phone. The students expressed their yearning to spend time with their grown-up interacting without a device between them. When a seven year old recognizes this new normal act as a barrier to building a strong, caring relationship with their grown-up, why can't the grown-up recognize this deteriorating behavior?
I challenge you-put down that phone. Foster the need your child has for quality time. Read a book, play a board game, or just take a walk with nothing but your child's hand in your hand and your eyes glued upon them!
Although my baby is only 5 months she has started reaching for my phone and it scares me to think that she recognizes that this device is important to me! I have started to make a greater effort to be present with her even when I think she is not paying attention.
ReplyDeleteGood for recognizing this Alyssa! It is amazing how quickly children (and adults) become attached to devices.
DeleteAlyssa, I feel the same way about my two month old! I make a conscience effort to put the phone away while she is awake (excluding me trying to take a million pictures of her because I can never have too many and I think everything she does is adorable). I only try and use it while she is napping.
DeleteMaria you can never have too many pictures!
DeleteAs a parent, I have spent so much time trying to control the input of screen time in my kids' lives, but I have never considered how my screen time has affected them.
ReplyDeleteI completely understand Dana! My husband and I tried to do the same with our daughter. Sometimes I need to check my own usage as well.
DeleteThere are many benefits to "unplugging". It is hard sometime to do that. I see how it has impacted children when parents are constantly looking at a screen. While I have a good communication with my family. I love playing board games with my family, because it just opens up our communication so much more.
ReplyDeleteWe have found our communication with our daughter is so different in a good way- when she has been "unplugged" for extended periods of time.
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