Children communicate more and more with cell phones instead of with parents
Children spend twice as much time on their smartphones as they do talking to their parents. This is the conclusion of a recent survey by the British company CensusWide, which was commissioned by the audio streaming service provider Roxi.
In total, children spend around three hours and 18 minutes a day on their personal devices. Conversations with parents only take up one hour and 43 minutes.
Another result of the British study is that 54% of parents surveyed are concerned about the use of smartphones, tablets and the like. Two thirds would also like to spend more time with their family. However, there is a contradiction here: two out of five study participants admit to having equipped their adolescents with a smartphone for employment reasons.
In terms of usage time, London is an absolute frontrunner: here, children spend four hours and 42 minutes a day using gadgets. South East England and Wales are the opposite with two hours and 36 minutes. Dame Sally Davies, Chief Medical Officer for England, recommends removing smartphones from the sleeping and eating areas of adolescents. She also advocates limits, for example after two hours of use.
Another important point is for parents to be responsible and set an example with regard to internet use. For example, photos of children should never be published on social networks without their consent. Experts also warn of the addictive potential of social media platforms, which should be curbed. "However, time spent online can also have a positive effect in terms of developing certain skills and gaining information," comments Dame Sally Davies on the positive aspects of smartphone use. (pte)
