Western Research

Have you ever been telling someone a story when their phone lights up, and their eyes flicker toward their device? Maybe they check the notification or they send a quick reply. Although the interruption only lasts a few seconds, the conversation, and your connection, has been disrupted. There’s a name for these small, everyday technology-related interruptions that disrupt in-person interactions: “technoference.” What happens when the person seeking the attention is a small child, and the person looking at their screen is their parent? In our new research, we wanted to see what actually happens when technology interrupts parent-child interactions.  

Interrupting moments of connection

Screens on phones, tablets and smart watches are now part of everyday life, and technoference is common. One study from the United States found that 89 per cent of parents report that digital devices interrupt interactions with their children at least once a day. Another recent study from the U.S. found that parents spent an average of five hours a day on their phones while they were with their babies. Babies and young children often share their feelings and ideas using looks, sounds, gestures and words as they learn about themselves and the world around them. It’s best for their learning and development when adults respond quickly to these signals. When a parent is distracted by a device, it can interrupt these important moments of connection. That doesn’t mean that parents need to put away their phones whenever their children are nearby; that would be unrealistic for most. Parents use technology to work, connect with family and friends, make appointments, schedule play dates, find information and manage family logistics. Screens can both connect and disconnect families, depending on when and how they are used.  

Observing parent screen use

Much of what we know about parental technoference came from studies where parents are asked to report how often it happened. Self-reports are valuable, but it can be difficult to remember every time we glance at our phones. We wanted to see in real time how parents might be unintentionally distracted by technology during play time. We invited parents and their 13- to 18-month-old children to the university to participate in a research study. As part of their visit, we recorded parents and children while they were playing with books and toys. We then told parents about the recording and asked if they were willing to give permission for us to use these observations. Parents also reported information about their child’s language development, including the words their children understand and say. We found that in the moments when parents checked their phones or smart watches, they were almost six times more likely to miss their children’s signals. Greater observed technoference was also associated with children producing and knowing fewer words.  

Repeated interruptions, over time

These findings could suggest that the parents’ observed technoference reflects cumulative missed opportunities to notice and respond to their child and shape language learning. Over time, repeated interruptions could mean a child is having fewer opportunities to learn new words. This may hinder children’s future development, as children’s vocabulary in the early years is also a building block for later communication and school readiness.  

Adults’ screen time, with kids

Much of the research on screens and children have tended to focus on children’s screen time. However, our findings suggest that we should also be thinking about the technology used by the adults around them – an idea reflected in the most recent screen time guidelines from child development experts. An occasional digital interruption is unlikely to define a child’s development. Children benefit from warm, caring interactions that happen repeatedly over time. What may matter more is when technology repeatedly competes for a parent’s attention during opportunities for connection. The goal then isn’t for parents to be screen-free, but rather to protect some time that can be free from digital disruptions. Putting devices away during meal, story and play time, a walk to the park or taking the train to grandpa’s house can create predictable opportunities for parent and children to focus on each other, and to connect. The challenge isn’t to eliminate technology, but to be thoughtful about when we let it interrupt us. Gizem Keskin, Postdoctoral Researcher, Determinants of Child Development Lab (DCDL) at the Department of Psychology, University of Calgary; Penny Pexman, Professor of Psychology, Western University, and Sheri Madigan, Professor, Canada Research Chair in Determinants of Child Development, Owerko Centre at the Alberta Children’s Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. Expert Insight reflects the perspective and scholarly interest of Western faculty members and is not an articulation of official university policy on issues being addressed.