"Phubbing" is the act of snubbing someone in favor of your phone. And while parents probably think they're usually the ones getting phubbed by their children, it turns out parents are just as guilty of choosing phones over interacting with their kids.
"If you ask adolescents what they would change about their parents, the most common answer is, 'I wish they would spend less time on their phone and more time talking to me,'"Andy Crouch, the author ofThe Tech-Wise Family, told ABC'sGood Morning America.
"Parents set the tone and the family agenda," Crouch said.
A study released Wednesday byJAMA Pediatricsfound increased parental distress and stress are associated with an increase in screen exposure in children as young as 7 to 18 months.
Crouch has four ways parents can get their screen time in check
1. One hour, one day, one week
For one hour each day, put the phone away and commit to not looking at it. One day a week, he said, usually a Saturday or Sunday, the screens are off and put away. One week a year, during vacation, there are no phones allowed.
2. Prepare for resistance
At first it will be uncomfortable. Be prepared to move through it.
3. Ground yourself, literally
For most of us, the first thing we do each morning is reach for our phones. Not doing so, Crouch says is an effect way to limit screen time.
4. The 7-minute rule
Crouch said this is adapted from the bookReclaiming Conversation: The Power of Talk in the Digital Age, bySherry Turkle. "The first seven minutes of conversation are easy...weather...and catch up," he said. After that, it gets harder and the temptation to pick up the phone creeps in.