Tablets and smartphones are often used as a pacifier during mealtime for youngsters. But researchers speculate that this use could be detrimental to a child's ability to learn self-control.
We've all seen it at restaurants before: parents propping their smartphones or tablets in front of their toddlers to pacify them long enough to get through the meal. It's a wonder we have pacifiers anymore. However, Joanna Walters from The Guardian highlights a new study that speculates on the detrimental effects this kind of distraction may have on a child's ability to learn self-control.
"It has been well-studied that increased television time decreases a child's development of language and social skills. Mobile media use similarly replaces the amount of time spent engaging in direct human-human interaction."
The findings were published in the journal Pediatrics, where researchers suggest parents opt for person-to-person interaction over media (interactive or not). Radesky voices her concern over the use of gadgetry as a substitute for learning, as she fears it could impair a child's ability to empathize and problem-solve—social nuances that are learned during unstructured play.
"At this time, there are more questions than answers when it comes to mobile media. Until more is known about its impact on child development quality family time is encouraged, either through unplugged family time, or a designated family hour."