Study: Parents Focus on Smartphones, Not Kids

Mobile devices like smartphones and tablets go with us everywhere. Even when we’re dining out with family and friends. A new study in the journal Pediatrics looked at how adults used mobile devices when they were with their kids. Researchers focused on meal time. They conducted 55 anonymous observations in fast food restaurants, in Boston from July to August 2013. They took detailed notes about how and how much parents interacted with their mobile devices and their kids. Forty parents actually used their smartphone during the meal. Some were totally absorbed in their phones the entire time. Some shared photos or videos with their kids. Researchers also noted how parents dealt with kids acting up while they were on the phone. Some parents gave their kids a look or a nudge. Some provided a mobile device for their child to play on. The study was published in Pediatrics online.