By: Carter Cox
The article I read this week was about parental use of mobile phones at the playground when their children are present. More importantly, the article talked about how the use of mobile phones impacts the quality of time spent between parents and their children. This article was built upon the observations of 60 different families over two playgrounds in the United States. The study ranked parent engagement on three different mediums: high, divided, and disengaged. The two main consequences for middle to low engagement were found to be safety concerns as well as emotional concerns.
Time on the playground with family is largely influential in the development of a young child. First of all, it is one of the most common leisure activities among children and their families. Second, it encourages physical activity, social interaction, and general creative freedom. As stated in the article, some of the other skills developed by playground activity include collaboration, patience, and even restraint. Above all else, the playground offers the perfect opportunity for parents to connect with and educate their children on social norms and behaviors.
Clearly, it is important for parents to spend time with their children on the playground. But what about when mobile phones are thrown into the mix? Mobile phones now hold an abundance of distracting applications – social media, video games, news platforms, and more. All these media-producing apps can take away massive amounts of time from parents that could be spent facilitating the development of their child. Even if a parent spends hours at the playground everyday with their child, none of it matters if they are stuck in their digital “bubble”.
The most important aspect of this article is that mobile phones significantly impact the quality of time spent between parents and their children. As mentioned before, parents can spend as many hours as they want with their children – at the playground or not. If a child does not perceive that their parent is invested in them during time spent together, it hurts their development. For example, young children depend on eye contact to gage if their parent or guardian is emotionally with them. Even if they are busy playing a game or making a new friend on the playground, they need to feel as if their parents are still with them – even if not physically. no matter what activity or task is at hand, a parent or guardian’s eye-contact gives a sense of purpose and confidence to a child. A perceived lack of connection from a child on the playground can lead to confusion and even distress.
To put some personal perspective on the matter, I do have a few thoughts on this concept. I was a lifeguard and swim instructor for several years prior to getting to Pullman. During my time, a majority of the parents who would take their children to the pool would often never actually get into the pool but would instead sit off to the side and spend the entire time on their mobile phone, tablet, or even a laptop. As a lifeguard, I knew I was responsible for the safety of everyone in the pool. I was fully aware that I was expected to carefully watch over anyone – regardless of age – that was in the pool. However, I was surprised that most parents would pay very little attention to their small child playing in water that did have some deep parts. I have witnessed the intrusion of mobile devices on spending quality time with young children. Although I doubt this issue will be resolved anytime soon, I would hope that future parents would at least attempt to minimize screen time around their children. The interference caused by mobile devices can create problems for a child’s development, both physically and emotionally.
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