Parents pay attention to their phones more than their kids, study says

Some parents pay attention to their phones more than to their kids during meals, a Boston Medical Center study says.

Researchers went undercover to 15 local fast-food restaurants to observe parent and child mealtime behavior. They realized that about 40 percent of those with mobile devices paid attention to the phone or tablet "almost continuously" throughout the meal rather than to their children.

"If we're getting in the habit of always taking the devices out - a lull or a daily routine that's starting to be a bit boring - we can be missing quality interaction time with our kids," Dr. Jenny Radesky told Reuters Health.

Of the 55 meals that were analyzed, 40 involved some mobile device. About 60 percent of the meals included a single adult and all meals were shared with one to three children. However, 16 of the adults used a mobile device throughout the meal, "only putting it down briefly to engage in other activities," according to the researchers. Another eight adults became absorbed in their devices every now and then.

There were 15 adults who didn't have their devices accessible, and three adults just left them on the table.

The researchers write that face-to-face interactions with parents are crucial to the cognitive, language and emotional development of children.

"When we eat, when we snuggle, when a parent puts a child to bed - these are important times when parent-child connectedness is important," Dr. Gene Beresin, executive director of the MGH Clay Center for Young Healthy Minds, said according to ABC News. "It sends a message to the child to pay attention to each other, to establish some intimacy."

Despite this evidence and advice, the moral of the story isn't to completely remove all mobile devices.

"The conclusion I wouldn't draw from the study, is that we need to completely remove these devices when we are with our children," lead author Radesky said. "But it does raise the issue that we need to create boundaries for these devices when we are with our children."