Cell Phone Use Hurts Parent-Child Bonding

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Most people over the age of forty know life without a cell phone, have survived, and thrived. However, today parents are too busy talking or texting on the cell phone and ignoring their children. Distracted parents are to blame for many near drownings and injuries at home, because they were so deep in conversation. Children are deliberately misbehaving to get their parents’ attention. Obviously, as soon as an infant is born bonding begins between baby and parents. Before babies can talk, adults speak to them, and the infants imitate their parents. Inquisitive toddlers learn facial expressions by mimicking others whom they see in various outings; mothers frequently use the shopping adventure to introduce children to colors and counting. In addition, car rides often led mothers and fathers to have conversations about the school day or to sing along to songs playing on the radio. A recent set of studies by Andrew K. Przybylski and Netta Weinstein of the University of Essex showed that our phones could hurt our close relationships. Amazingly, they found that simply having a phone nearby, without even checking it, could be detrimental to our attempts at interpersonal connection. Too much one-on-one time with cell phones has resulted in the lack of face-to-face communication, disregard for physical activity, and a seeming addiction to social media. However, cell phones are great for emergencies. Especially if someone is stuck in traffic or in an accident, he or she is able to call 911. In addition, if a person needs help finding directions, to call a wrecker because of a flat tire, having a cell phone is a convenience. Today, students need cell phones for safety because pay phones no longer exist, and they need to call for a rid... ... middle of paper ... ...lings, reconnecting with each face-to-face is better than checking text messages. Finally, achieving interpersonal closeness and trust is possible when families ignore the cell phone. Spending too much time on cell phones hurts face-to-face communication, causes disregard for physical activity, and addiction to social media. Children need to know they are more important than a cell phone and can have a life without one. Works Cited http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/health/2014/03/10/parents-on-smartphones-ignore-their-kids-study-finds/ http://ideas.time.com/2012/05/17/why-cell-phones-are-bad-for-parenting/ http://www.nbcnews.com/health/parenting/put-down-cellphone-study-finds-parents-distracted-devices-n47431 http://parentingtodayskids.com/article/distracted-parenting/ http://www.pbs.org/mediashift/2007/10/how-cell-phones-are-killing-face-to-face-interactions295/

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