Plenty of kids would rather sit in front of their phone screen than play a sport, pick up an instrument or read a book.
They might be modeling that behavior from their parents, bestselling author and podcast host Mel Robbins said during a panel discussion hosted by Verizon on Wednesday. She spoke from personal experience, she added: Robbins would lose herself in her iPhone for extended periods of time, and then look up to see her kids buried in their own devices.
“I used to be the kind of person who always had [my phone] in my hand,” said Robbins, 58. “I felt like I just completely lost control of the situation.”
Kids typically have a different relationship with phones than adults do: They have a higher tendency to overuse social media and watch videos for hours on end, according to Michael Robb, head of research at Common Sense Media. This can cause problems with their sleep, physical and mental health, and shorten their attention spans — all making them less likely to develop into happy, successful adults, Yale University psychologist Laurie Santos told CNBC Make It in October 2023.
At first, Robbins would demand that her kids to put their phones away or scold them for being plugged in all the time, she said. Then, she realized her kids were mirroring her behavior, she said — seeking connection through social media, and texting friends to make up for the lack of in-person interaction.
