Study: Kids Mirror Parents’ Phone Usage

If you want your kid to put down their phone, you might have to go first! According to data collected from 10,000 American parents and their 12 and 13-year-old children, kids parrot their parents’ phone usage. “One of the biggest predictors of adolescents’ screen use is their parents’ screen use,” lead author Jason Nagata said. The survey also found that more than one-third of families watch screens during meals, and half of kids have phone access in bed. Nagata suggests that banning phones at bedtime could help reduce screen time the most. “If you only choose one rule to implement, that may be the most effective one for reducing total screen time,” he said. (newser)