Set time limits on mobile use not just for children, but adults, too
Parents have lost the art of communicating and interacting with their children because of mobile devices, a reader says.
I agree wholeheartedly with the author of the commentary, “Parents glued to mobile devices are sending a wrong message to their children” (May 7), that parents set an example for children in the use of mobile devices.
While the World Health Organisation has issued guidelines that set out limits on screen time for children, these recommendations are in vain if parents do not enforce them, or worse, become addicted to the screen themselves.
When I eat out with my family, I find that the time spent waiting for our food is the best opportunity to chat and catch up on one another’s lives.
For families with young children, they may interact through simple games.
Unfortunately, all too often, I see parents checking their phones while waiting for their food. Their children would stare blankly at them, or worse, use iPad mobile tablets to pass the time.
Once, I witnessed a father who was playing a video game tell his teenage son: "Don't talk to me.”
So the boy sat in silence and occasionally tried to glimpse what his father was doing.
The message sent is clear: Children are not important enough to warrant their parents' time.
We have lost the art of communicating and interacting with our children because of our mobile devices.
Without a steadfast familial relationship, parents will lose their standing with their children, who may turn to unknown and unreliable sources of help when they are older.
Perhaps the World Health Organisation and social bodies should also set out guidelines on screen time for adults, particularly parents of young children and teenagers.
