NEXT MOVE: A BREAK FROM SMARTPHONES
HOW ARE SMARTPHONES AFFECTING THE PARENT-CHILD RELATIONSHIP?
SCHOLARLY RESEARCH LEARNING ABOUT MY TOPIC FORMING MY RESEARCH QUESTION I started out my research by finding scholarly articles about technology in general, smartphone addiction, and the parent-child relationship. With this background knowledge, I was able to formulate my research question to be, "How are smartphones affecting the parent-child relationship?" Some of the statistics and information that led me to choose to focus on smartphones and the parent-child relationship are shown below.
95%
OF AMERICAN ADULTS NOW OWN CELL PHONES
“CHILDREN NOTICE WHEN THEIR PARENTS ARE DISTRACTED.” THIS HAS LED TO AN INCREASE IN CHILDREN COMPETING WITH THEIR PARENTS’ CELL PHONES FOR ATTENTION.
Kildare, Cory A, and Wendy Middlemiss. “Impact of Parents Mobile Device Use on Parent-Child Interaction: A Literature Review.” NeuroImage, Academic Press, 5 June 2017.
ETIC OBSERVATIONS INSIDE LOOK AT MY TARGET AUDIENCE WATCHING & LISTENING When planning out my research, I knew etic observations would be an important part. This would allow me to have an inside look at parent-child interactions without parents filtering their actions or words like they could in interviews. I observed families in public places such as sporting events, walking around streets, and eating at restaurants. The process was very eye-opening and played a key role in defining my final design solution. Some of my primary observations and conclusions are written below.
WHAT HAPPENED TO INTERACTION? COMMUNICATION, MEMORIES, & OVERALL SAFETY •
The main 3 things I saw smartphones affecting were communication skills, the act of making memories and being in the moment, and the overall safety of family members
• •
I realized this idea of being distracted by smartphones goes both ways I saw various members of the family distracted; sometimes it was the parents distracted, sometimes it was the child, and sometimes it was both I noticed many families at restaurants sitting on their phones in silence or speaking to someone who had their eyes glued to their phone
• •
•
There were several instances where a young child was speaking to a parent for several minutes with no response from the parent because they were on their phone When the child would ask a question, it typically took 3+ times of them repeating the parents name or the question before the parent acknowledged them The parent then often mumbled a response and went back to their phone
• •
One parent’s child almost crossed the street into traffic because she was on her smartphone After she stopped him, she went back onto her smartphone while she waited for the light
•
TARGET AUDIENCE SURVEY SURVEY QUESTIONS LEARNING MORE ABOUT MY TARGET AUDIENCE When I spoke to parents over the phone or in person for target audience interviews, they offered up a lot of negative impacts smartphones have within the parent-child relationship, whether it was within their family or others. Experts also talked a lot about the negative uses during interviews. However, on the survey, 0 parents said they consider technology to have an overall negative impact, and a majority said they don’t believe it affects the time they spend with their children. These results were the opposite of what I found in scholarly research, interviews, and observations. I believe this was the case because the parents were able to fill out the questions without speaking to me and did not want to feel judged.
Do you consider smartphone technology to have an overall positive or negative impact on the relationship between you and your child(ren)?
9.1%
36.4%
9.1%
Positive Negative Unknown No Children
45.5%
Neutral
Do you believe your smartphone affects the time you spend with your child(ren)?
Yes 58.3% 8.3% 33.3%
No Unknown
TARGET AUDIENCE INTERVIEWS TALKING TO PARENTS LEARNING THEIR THOUGHTS & PERSPECTIVES Speaking to my target audience was a very important part of my research because I was able to hear directly from parents what their thoughts are on my research topic. Through these six indepth, conversational interviews, I made sure to ask questions in a way that would ensure parents did not feel judged. I wanted them to feel comfortable and free to voice their opinions and share stories. Many of the parents shared both positive and negative thoughts on the topic, and some discussed how ashamed they were for their smartphone use. Below I have outlined some of the critical insights I got from these interviews.
LEARNING THE SMARTPHONE'S ROLE THE PRIMARY POSITIVE & NEGATIVE IMPACTS MENTIONED POSITIVES: • • •
Smartphones allow some parents to have a flexible work schedule which enables them to go to all of their kids' activities Many parents reported that there are a lot of productive ways that their kids use technology and iPhones (i.e. to learn sports techniques, educational games) Smartphones allow parents who have a child who does not live with them to continue communicating on a regular basis which overall improves their relationship
NEGATIVES: • • • • • •
Kids become very absorbed in their technology “...the world ceases to exist, and he won’t respond…” One parent said the first thing her 9 year old child wants to do when she gets home from school is get on some form of technology Smartphones have become so crucial to everyday life that many parents reported that they have their phones on them at all times whether they are actively using it or not Because of this, while the parents are with their kids or at an activity they find themselves getting distracted with their phones A teacher who is also a parent reported that she has even seen developmental and social changes over the years because of technology
A WORD FROM PARENTS: “My phone is typically out in front of my kids. I’m ashamed about it.”
“I’m concerned because kids are starting to see more of the top of their parents’ heads.”
“Technology should be a positive thing. People just need to learn to be responsible with it.”
“I hate when parents use technology to keep their children occupied as if it’s a babysitter.”
“My two-year-old knows how to work an iPhone.”
EXPERT INTERVIEWS EXPERT INSIGHTS LEARNING MORE ABOUT THE IMPACT OF SMARTPHONES I spoke to three experts who provided a variety of great insight into how smartphones are affecting the parent-child relationship. While two spoke primarily about the negative impacts, all three covered both positive and negative affects. Below I will outline the important points made by each expert during the interviews that helped guide me to my design solution.
DR. JIM TAYLOR EXPERT ON CHILD DEVELOPMENT & PARENTING • • • • • • • • • •
He is not hopeful for the future because “even the best educated among us don’t see the harm of excessive technology or recognize the unhealthy relationships that parents and children have with technology” Technology and smartphones are neither good nor bad, but rather it is how it is used Technology can be so valuable in many aspects of parents’ and children’s lives, but only if both groups have healthy relationships with it His rule: tech should be used as a tool, not a toy (though some entertainment is fine) Smartphones can connect people at great distance Smartphones cause loss of focus, decline in face-to-face interactions, internet addiction, indirect communication, less family time, and less attention on relationships Parents are using technology to distract themselves from the hard work of raising kids Parents are staring at their phones when they should be watching or interacting with their children, and kids are absorbed in screens, not sharing with their parents, and not learning from their parents Ultimately, it is up to parents to make conscious and deliberate decisions about how technology is used in their families Most parents don’t see the harm of excessive screen time for themselves or their children
Kids can benefit from guidance or restrictive approaches sometimes. Give the kids rules and zones to help encourage family time, chores, homework. — Dr. Patrick Nelson, Ph.D.
DR. PATRICK NELSON, PH.D. FAMILY CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGIST • • • • • • • • • •
He has the mindset of, “This is just the way it is now.” In his work, he sees both the positive and negative impacts of smartphones and technology He is optimistic about smartphone use and thinks we will “figure it out” just like we have for other technologies He found that parents complain more than kids about smartphone use, but he finds that it is typically the parent who has more of an issue with it Smartphones allow for more communication between parents and teens/older kids to figure out what’s going on when they aren’t together If there are shared interests on media then smartphones can be positive (the more parents mediate use the better) For autistic kids who have high social anxiety, having a smartphone and social media is positive for them and helps them develop relationships Research shows a correlation between how disruptive kids are and parents' cell phone use Using smartphones as a substitute for people, anxiety, or stress can be detrimental His biggest suggestion is for families is to set guidelines and rules within the household for when technology can and cannot be used which could also encourage more family time, chores, and homework
EXPERT INTERVIEWS DR. CRIS ROWAN PEDIATRIC OCCUPATIONAL THERAPIST & BIOLOGIST FROM ZONE'IN • • • • • • • • • • •
She actively speaks about and researches the negative effects on the parent-child relationship and how to overcome them through her company called Zone’In 1 in 3 children are entering school developmentally delayed with slower social, cognition, speech, motor growth, gross motor, fine motor, and immaturity levels A lot of tantrums, aggression, and a desire for immediacy has been seen from children Smartphones and technology have created asocial kids and antisocial kids Mental health is seeing huge differences such as increased depression, anxiety, and suicide China and South Korea are highest performers in world, and they use the least amount of technology possible She is very heavily critical of screens in school Studies are showing 53% of 20-30 year olds are living at home and not going to school, and we are going to have more and more unemployable and single individuals Marriage and birth rates are plummeting because we sit at home glued to screens Believes this is the de-evolution of the human (humanity is moving backward) She also talked about a method she created called Balanced Technology Management where humans should strive to manage and find balance between healthy activity and technology (she provided the content of a graphic for me on the right page that explains her theory)
The more parents attach to technology, the more they are detaching from their children. — Dr. Cris Rowan
CONTENT PROVIDED BY DR. CRIS ROWAN FROM ZONE'IN PROGRAMS INC.
• • • • • •
Above is Dr. Rowan's graphic about her Balanced Technology Management method She believes parents and children need to find a balance between healthy activity and technology in order to develop properly The graphic mention what she believes are the 4 Critical Factors that children need: movement, touch, human connection, and nature These 4 factors greatly influence brain development and are the building blocks of development for children Her belief is that great development (through the chart) will lead to success While on screens, children are not doing any of these 4 critical things
CODING CODING MY RESEARCH LOOKING FOR REPETITION Coding all of my research allowed me to find trends and topics that were repeated several times throughout my interviews, observations, and survey. This was a primary step that led me to my final design solution and all of the details within it. Some of the primary takeaways from this process are listed below.
KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM CODING THE EARLY STAGES OF MY SOLUTION • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
It’s the lack of interaction due to technology that causes a lot of the developmental and emotional issues found in children Experts suggested sharing technology to help interaction (share values and preferences) A lot of negative comments about effects of technology (communication and development) Addiction was mentioned often, but it was also said that the kids mimic the parents actions with their own technology There needs to be established technology rules and zones in households Restaurants and meal times were brought up a lot as times that need rules or that already have expectations of no technology Many parents said dinner was an important time for their families to catch up It is harder and harder for parents to be intimate and interact with their kids because of technology and smartphones A lot of skills (i.e. reading, speech, writing, social) are struggling because of technology A big emphasis on the need for balance between screen time and non-screen time Technology isn’t all bad and should not be completely taken away Technology and smartphones should be used as a privilege Smartphone usage should be balanced out with other activities (hands-on, outdoors, etc.) Kids are typically struggling due to their parents phone usage (being ignored, physical touch, conversation, etc.)
MY SOLUTION NEXT MOVE A BREAK FROM SMARTPHONES Next Move is a board game themed restaurant that focuses on removing the temptation to use smartphones during meals and encourages family interaction with the option to play games. This solution helps families build more intimate relationships, establish smartphone-free rules, and take a break from screen time, replacing it with hands-on interaction. Each family is encouraged to place their phones in a provided bucket while at the restaurant Throughout the meal, activity books are provided to the kids to further encourage them to interact with parents and other family members. There is also the option to purchase a bucket to help take the smartphone-free meal time concept home with them. This includes games, customizable bucket labels, Next Move stickers, and a take-home version of the activity book.
TESTING MY SOLUTION TESTING NEXT MOVE HEARING WHAT MY TARGET AUDIENCE THINKS In order to test my design solution, I observed people using various aspects of my solution, showed and spoke to my target audience about my work, and asked several questions. This phase helped me revise my solution and opened my eyes to things that I had previously not thought of. Below I have listed some of my main insights from this phase.
KEY INSIGHTS COMMENTS & SUGGESTIONS • • • • • • • • •
I continuously heard from parents that Next Move was a great idea because cell phones are currently a huge problem at restaurants which is leading to less communication between parents and their children Many parents mentioned their love for board games, and how this solution would provide a great atmosphere to do this with their children One parent brought up the issue of families spending too long playing a board game and causing a long wait at the restaurant This led me to create the Monopoly Speed Game Rules as an alternative for a game that is known to be very long; this concept could be used for other long games as well One parent said it would be important to have cup holders on the table because mixing board games, food, and drinks at a table with kids would lead to many spills She also suggested adding coloring options for family members who may not want to play board games which helped inspire my activity booklets People who tested my solutions were surprised about how nice it was to have their phones taken away and to instead, focus on playing games and interacting with others They mentioned the bucket can get in the way on the table, so they suggested adding an option to hang the bucket off the table They also suggested having an embarrassing noise for whenever someone tries to take their phone out of the bucket in order to keep families more accountable
MONEY CAN'T BUY HAPPINESS, BUT IT CAN BUY BOARD GAMES, & THAT'S GOOD ENOUGH!
DESIGNED & RESEARCHED BY KARA SCHUTTE
SENIOR DESIGN PROJECT | MIAMI UNIVERSITY | 2019