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Put Down the Cell Phone!

By Jennifer Green May 19, 2016
Cell phones are a ubiquitous accessory of the modern life. We can't imagine not having one, and we sometimes wonder what we did before we had them.

But because cell phones are so new, science is only just beginning to understand all the ways in which they influence our lives, for better or for worse. 

It's been found that when parents spend too much time on their phones when they should be interacting with their families, kids tend to feel unimportant. But a new study has found that when a parent is distracted by their phone when they should be spending time with their child, they may be shortening their child's attention span.

Head-mounted cameras were placed on both the parent and child so the researchers could observe their interaction from both of their viewpoints. The parent and child were placed in a playroom and not given any particular instructions.

The researchers found that when both the parent and child were focused on an object for more than 3.6 seconds, the child was able to stay focused on that object for 2.3 seconds, even after the parent stopped looking at the object.

Those 2.3 seconds may not sound like a lot, but it was actually four times longer than for those children whose parent got distracted and wasn't able to focus as long on the object. 

Cell phone addiction is real, and it can be incredibly difficult to break the habit of constantly checking your phone, so start small. Turn off notification sounds so that you're not tempted to reach for the phone every time it pings.

Is your phone never more than six inches away from you? Try putting it in another room. 

The cell phone is no doubt a major convenience in our lives, but don't let it rob you of the precious moments with your kids. You can't get those moments back, after all.