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As the world undergoes its fourth industrial revolution, digital media are becoming more prevalent in both rural and urban communities. This shift has had a profound impact on our daily lives, transforming the way we live, work, and communicate. Although technology now plays a crucial role in our daily routine, it can lead to interference in human relationships, a phenomenon referred to as technoference. This interference has significant consequences, particularly in parent–child relationships, as it can adversely affect children's emotional and behavioral development and the mental health and overall functioning of parents. Thus, for children to grow up healthy and for families to be harmoniously balanced, all the family subsystems need to be aligned in a healthy manner. This study conceptualizes how family health is affected when technological devices are brought as a subsystem into a family system. The researchers developed a conceptual multidimensional framework based on several interrelated theoretical concepts, and this framework is presented in three sequential frames for better comprehension, to identify how the interference, in particular, impacts the various dimensions of a healthy family system and contributes to dysfunctional family functioning and mental health issues in both parents and children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Smartphone use during parenting is common, which may lead to distraction (also known as technoference). However, it is likely that some phone activities are less disruptive to parents and children. In this study, we explored smartphone use (via passive sensing across 8 days) within 264 parents of infants, measuring parents' application use on their phone (e.g., messaging, social media, mobile gaming, video chat) and phone use across contexts (e.g., during feeding and at bedtime). We utilized latent profile analysis to identify profiles of users, revealing five user types: Moderate User Social Networkers (37%), followed by Moderate User Gamers (20%), Moderate User Video Chatters (17%), Low Users (15%), and Heavy Users (11%). Parents varied in their use, from Low Users, who used their phone approximately 2.4 h each day, spent only 13% of their child time on their phone, and used their phone for about 18 min at bedtime, to Heavy Users, who spent approximately 8 h a day, about 50% of their child time on their phone, and about 1 h at bedtime. Heavy Users showed higher depressive symptoms and poorer sleep (although not poorer sleep than Moderate User Gamers). Surprisingly, we found no differences between groups in perceptions of parenting stress, responsiveness to their infant, or problematic phone use and distraction. We also explored demographic differences across groups. We call for future work to examine parent phone use more comprehensively and holistically and to view specific phone use activities as simultaneously interconnected with other types of use activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

IntroductionParents' sensitivity and responsiveness to their infants may be affected by the widespread availability and use of mobile devices. The present study examined the impact of maternal digital media use on maternal attention and the quality of mother-infant interaction during breastfeeding.MethodsMothers and infants (n = 25 dyads) participated in a within-subject experiment. Mothers breastfed their infants under one experimental and one control condition, counterbalanced across two laboratory visits. During the Digital Media condition, mothers watched a television show on a tablet. During the Control condition, mothers listened to classical music at ambient levels. Video records were later coded to assess maternal attention to the infant, tablet, or elsewhere and evaluate the quality of mother-infant interaction.ResultsThere were more disruptions in maternal attention to the infant during the Digital Media (M = 3.7, S.E. = 0.2 per minute) vs. Control condition (M = 1.7, S.E. = 0.2 per minute, p < 0.001). The proportion of the meal duration mothers spent focused on their infant was significantly lower during the Digital Media (M = 52.5%, S.E. = 3.9) vs. Control condition (M = 83.9%, S.E. = 4.0%, p < 0.001). Lower maternal attention to the infant was associated with lower maternal sensitivity to cues (p = 0.03) and cognitive growth fostering (p = 0.002), as well as lower infant clarity of cues (p = 0.001). Lower maternal attention was also associated with less socioemotional growth fostering (p < 0.001) and lower infant responsiveness to the mother (p < 0.001) regardless of whether digital media was present or absent, but during the Digital Media condition, mothers engaged in more socioemotional growth fostering (p = 0.004) and infants were more responsive to mothers (p = 0.03).DiscussionThe presence of digital media during infant feeding led to more interruptions to mothers' attention to their infants and the time mothers spent focused on digital media displaced time spent focused on their infants. The degree to which mothers were attentive to their infants vs. digital media was a more important predictor of most aspects of interaction quality than the mere presence of digital media.

Phubbing—i.e. excluding and ignoring others through smartphone use—is a pervasive phenomenon. Yet, a comprehensive understanding of its consequences is still lacking. This systematic meta-analytic review aimed to (1) synthesize the associations between being phubbed and emotional and cognitive, social, and behavioural well-being, (2) test the strength of these associations, and (3) investigate moderating influences. Literature searches according to PRISMA-guidelines yielded k = 83 included studies. Random-effects meta-analyses were conducted for 24 of 72 extracted consequences. Subgroup analyses were performed for phubbees' relationship to interlocutors, age group, and study design. The overall sample was N = 53,916 with a mean age of 19.68 years. Being phubbed was moderately to strongly (e.g. $\hat{{\rm \rho }}$ ρ ˆ =.23–.75) associated with various adverse consequences (e.g. depression, relationship dissatisfaction, derogation of interlocutors, smartphone addiction). Effects were larger for adolescents than for adults. The findings are in line with existing theoretical assumptions (e.g. the temporal need-threat model of ostracism) corroborating that phubbing is a detrimental experience. Thus, phubbing appears to be a public health issue which should be addressed through suitable interventions in order to enhance healthy human-human and human-technology interactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Parenting practices and technoference are associated with the development of children's attentional control. Intraindividual reaction time variability (IIRTV) is an index of executive brain function and attentional control. Nonetheless, no study has examined the direct and interactive relationship between parenting practices, technoference, and IIRTV. This study examined this phenomenon in a representative sample of the parents of 191 typically developing Chinese children (aged 8–10 years). Parents completed the technoference questionnaire and the Chinese version of the Alabama parenting questionnaire. Children's attentional control was assessed by IIRTV in the Go/No-go and the heart and flower tasks. Resultantly, technoference and corporal punishment positively correlated with IIRTV. Technoference interacted with parenting behaviors to predict IIRTV. This study indicates that technoference has a direct negative association with the development of children's attentional control. It may also moderate the relation between parenting practices and children's attentional control. Highlights: Technoference exhibited a direct negative association with the development of children's attentional control. Corporal punishment was positively related to intraindividual reaction time variability. Technoference moderated the relation between parenting practices and children's attentional control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Contradictory results in the extant literature suggests that additional risk factors should be considered when exploring the impacts of maternal smartphone use on mother‐infant relationships. This study used cluster analysis to explore whether certain risk factors were implicated in mother‐infant dyads with high smartphone use and low mother‐infant responsiveness. A cross‐sectional survey of 450 participants in the UK measured infant social‐emotional development, maternal depressive, anxiety and stress symptoms, wellbeing, social support, smartphone use, and mother‐infant responsiveness. Participants were predominantly White (95.3%) and living with a partner (95.2%), with infants who were born full‐term (88.9%). Cluster analysis identified three clusters characterized as; cluster (1) "infant at risk" showing high infant development concerns, high maternal smartphone use, and low mother‐infant responsiveness; cluster (2) "mother at risk" showing high maternal depressive, anxiety, and stress scores, low social support, high maternal smartphone use, and low mother‐infant responsiveness, and cluster (3) "low risk" showing low maternal smartphone use and high mother‐infant responsiveness. Significant differences were found between all risk factors, except for maternal smartphone use and mother‐infant responsiveness between clusters 1 and 2 suggesting that both clusters require early intervention, although interventions should be tailored towards the different risk factors they are presenting with. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

IntroductionSmartphone use during caregiving has become increasingly common, especially around infants and very young children, and this use around young children has been linked with lower quality and quantity of parent-child interaction, with potential implications for child behavior, and parent-child attachment. To understand drivers and consequences of parent phone use, we were interested in the daily associations between parent phone use and depressed mood, as well as the potential for parent perceptions of their responsiveness toward their infant to alter the association between parent phone use and mood.MethodsIn the present study, we explored associations between day-to-day changes in parent smartphone use (objectively-measured via passive sensing) around their infant, depressed mood, and parent perceptions of their responsiveness to their infants among a sample of 264 parents across 8 days. We utilized multilevel modeling to examine these within-person daily associations.ResultsObjectively-measured parent smartphone use during time around their infant was significantly associated with depressed mood on a daily basis. Interestingly, this was not true on days when parents perceived themselves to be more responsive to their infant.DiscussionThese results suggest that parent judgements and perceptions of their parenting behavior may impact the potential link between parent phone use and parent mood. This is the first study utilizing intensive daily data to examine how parent perceptions may alter the felt effects of phone use on their parenting. Future work examining potential impacts of smartphone use on parenting should consider the effects of both actual use and perceptions about that use.

Given the prevalence of mobile device use, especially among parents of young children, the current study examines the impact of mobile device distraction (technoference) on toddlers' physiological and emotional functioning. We suspected that toddlers' would demonstrate difficultly maintaining physiological and emotional homeostasis when parents became distracted by a mobile device. In this study, we examined toddlers' (N = 129, M age = 29.05 months) physiological and behavioral responses across three conditions in an induced technoference task that mimicked elements of a traditional still face paradigm (i.e., social engagement, phone distraction, and social recovery). Similar to previous studies employing still face with younger infants, a majority of toddlers demonstrated a loss of positive affective tone mirrored by heart rate increase and respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) decrease (vagal withdrawal) during the phone distraction condition relative to the initial and final social engagement conditions. However, some toddlers demonstrated vagal activation (RSA increase) to parents' phone distraction. Greater RSA withdrawal was linked to decreased positive affect and increased negative affect for children during parents' phone distraction. Parents who reported higher levels of technoference were more likely to have children who demonstrated lower vagal reactivity (greater vagal withdrawal) to parents' phone distraction while parents attitudes about technoference (e.g., "it is okay to use a mobile device in front of my child") was found to be linked to higher RSA reactivity (greater vagal activation). Findings are discussed in relation to Porges' polyvagal theory and the possible role that interactive dynamics play in children's emerging regulatory systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Technoference, namely parental screen use in the presence of a child, is a widespread phenomenon that has negative effects on parent-child interaction and communication. When parents use screens around their children there are fewer interactions and parents are less contingent and responsive to the child. Additionally, children show more negative behaviors, such as whining, frustration, and outbursts. Communication is also affected—parents speak and gesture less towards their children and, in turn, children are less likely to develop their language abilities. It remains unclear, however, if parental distraction due to screen use affects parent-child interaction and communication more negatively compared to non-digital parental distraction. Fifty-two parent-child dyads (mean child age = 22 months, range 12–36 months) first played for 5 min (Time 1); then (Time 2), the parent was asked to fill out a questionnaire on a tablet (screen condition), on a printed form (paper-pen condition) or was not interrupted (control condition). Interactive quality was assessed at Time 1 and Time 2 using the Coding Interactive Behavior scale. Communication was assessed by coding the number of word tokens and types during Time 1 and Time 2; child gestures were also coded. Results revealed that when parents were distracted—either by the paper-pen or the screen questionnaire—the quality of the interaction significantly deteriorated (ps ≤ .01) and the quantity of parental communication significantly declined (ps ≤ .012). Importantly, the nature of the distraction did not matter: there were no significant differences between the paper-pen and the screen distraction conditions across Time 2 (ps ≥ .59). Findings suggest that parental distraction matters for the quality of interaction and the amount of communicative bids, independently on whether parents were distracted by a digital or non-digital activity. These findings likely relate to complex factors related to young children's experiences and habits with parental screen use.

Background: Digital stress refers to the stress resulting from persistent use of digital media. Given its major implications for well-being, it is crucial to explore how the use of digital media would contribute to the stress. Drawing on the frameworks of DSMT (i.e., using a digital device during social interactions) and perceived peer norms, we explored whether and how perceived peer norms of DSMT and adolescents’ own DSMT were associated with digital stress. Method: Adolescents between the ages of 12 and 18 were recruited through the Qualtrics survey panels. A total of 2105 adolescents completed a one-time online survey (Mage = 15.39, S.D. = 1.82). Results: Path analysis revealed that all three self-DSMT variables (level, positive self-perception, negative self-perception) were associated with higher digital stress, with level and negative self-perception having stronger associations than did positive self-perception. Furthermore, peer DSMT level was related to higher digital stress both directly and indirectly through all three self-DSMT variables. Positive peer perception of DSMT was indirectly related to higher digital stress through higher self-DSMT level and more positive self-perception of DSMT, but was related to lower digital stress through reduced negative self-perception of DSMT. Negative peer perception of DSMT contributed to higher digital stress both directly and indirectly by intensifying teens’ own negative perception of DSMT. Judging from the total-paths coefficients, all three peer norm variables were related to higher digital stress, with level having the largest coefficient, followed by negative peer perception and finally positive peer perception of DSMT. Discussion and conclusion: All three perceived peer norms of DSMT (level, positive perception, negative perception) had the potential to increase digital stress directly and/or via impacting teens’ own engagement in and perceptions of DSMT, with perceived peer engagement and negative peer perception being the greater risk factors. At the individual level, a similar pattern emerged—self-DSMT level and negative self-perception had noticeably stronger associations with digital stress than did positive self-perception.

Abstract Purpose The term ‘technoference’ refers to habitual interferences and disruptions within interpersonal relationships or time spent together due to use of electronic devices. Emerging evidence suggests associations between parental technoference and young people’s mental health and violent behaviours. This scoping review sought to summarise the existing literature. Methods A scoping review was undertaken across six databases (APA PsycINFO, MEDLINE, ASSIA, ERIC, Social Sciences Premium Collection, SciTech Premium). Searches included articles examining the association between parental technoference and adolescent mental health and violent behaviours. All included studies provided empirical findings. Results Searches retrieved 382 articles, of which 13 articles met the eligibility criteria. A narrative approach was applied to synthesise the eligible findings. Across all studies, adolescent perceptions of parental technoference were negatively associated to adolescent mental health and positively related to adolescent violent behaviours. Parental cohesion and mental health were identified as significant mediating factors. Conclusion Findings suggest that parents should be aware of the environment in which they use electronic devices as their use can potentially, directly and indirectly, influence adolescent mental health and violent behaviours. Further research into the potential caveats of parental technoference could support the development of evidence-informed guidelines for parental management of electronic devices.

Adolescents' phone use during face-to-face interactions (i.e., digital social multitasking [DSMT]) has gained increasing attention because of its prevalence as well as implications for well-being. However, most studies have focused on only one dimension of the behavior and relied on variable-centered approaches. Informed by the DSMT framework, we adopted a person-centered approach to identify different groups of adolescents based on their levels, perceptions, and motives of phone use during face-to-face interactions with friends. We also examined how these groups differed in five well-being variables (loneliness, depressive symptoms, digital stress, friendship quality, and satisfaction of basic psychological needs). A total of 517 adolescents (Mage = 14.83, standard deviation [SD] = 1.93; 50 percent female) completed an online survey. Three profiles were identified: the Intentional (low levels, quite positive perceptions, motivated for clear goals), the Embracers (high levels, highly positive perceptions, strong motives), and the Unimpressed (low levels, low positive perceptions, low motives). The Embracers scored the highest on both positive and negative indicators of well-being, whereas the Unimpressed scored the lowest on all well-being scales. The Intentional appeared to be the most adaptive group. Implications are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Distraction in Social Relations and Use of Parent Technology questionnaire (DISRUPT) is a short 4-item measure by McDaniel (2021) used to assess technology interference during the parent--child common time. The paper describes the development of the Polish version of the DISRUPT. The study sample consisted of 649 participants aged 18-35 (Mage = 30.23, SD = 3.87), divided randomly into two groups: one for EFA and the other for CFA. EFA using the maximum likelihood method revealed a unidimensional structure of the tool; the single-factor model was also well-fitted in CFA. High relia- bility (W = .90) and construct validity were obtained. The Polish questionnaire version is a promising tool for screening parental digital behaviors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Research in Education & Learning Innovation Archives (REALIA) is the property of Research in Education & Learning Innovation Archives (REALIA) and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Introduction: Phone use during face‐to‐face interactions (i.e., digital social multitasking [DSMT]) is a growing activity among adolescents. DSMT appears to be a risk factor for problematic phone use, but little is known about why adolescents engage in DSMT and how different motives of DSMT would be associated with problematic phone use. Drawing on the framework of DSMT and the uses and gratifications theory, this study explored (1) the motives of adolescent DSMT and (2) the direct and indirect relationships between DSMT motives and problematic phone use via the level and perception of DSMT. Method: The study involved survey data from 517 adolescents in the United States recruited through the Qualtrics panels (Mage = 14.83, SD = 1.93) in the fall of 2020. The sample's gender and racial/ethnic distributions were nationally representative. Results: We developed a scale measuring adolescent DSMT motives, which showed that adolescents engaged in DSMT because of enjoyment and connection, boredom, information, and habitual use. The motive of habitual use was associated with problematic phone use both directly and indirectly via level of DSMT and perceived distraction caused by DSMT. The information motive was directly associated with problematic phone use, while the boredom motive was indirectly associated with problematic phone use via perceived distraction. Conversely, the motive of enjoyment and connection was related to lower problematic phone use both directly and indirectly via lower perceived distraction. Conclusion: The study identifies DSMT‐related risk and protective factors for problematic phone use. The findings should help adults recognize adaptive versus maladaptive forms of DSMT among adolescents and develop proper guidance and intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• This study examined the relations between parental media behaviors and child's executive function (EF). • Parental problematic smartphone use was positively related to children's EF difficulties. • Technoference mediated the relationship between parental problematic smartphone use and EF. • These relationships were varied between preschooler and elementary school child. Smartphones can affect the relationship between parents and their children, and this technoference of technology has been associated with children's socio-emotional development. Nonetheless, few studies have examined the association between the problematic use of smartphones by parents in relation to children's executive function (EF). The current study thus explored whether parental problematic smartphone use and technoference were associated with children's EF. A total of 472 parents of children aged 3–9 years answered questionnaires that measured their problematic smartphone use, technoference, and children's EF. Results indicated that parental problematic smartphone use was significantly correlated with children's EF difficulties. Furthermore, the positive relationship between parental problematic smartphone use and children's EF problems was partly due to the interference of technology with parent–child activities. Furthermore, the relationships between parental problematic smartphone use, technoference, and children's working memory problems were moderated by the children's age group. These findings emphasize the important influence of parental media use on children's EF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aquariums are unique informal learning environments where families talk about science content and processes and learn about science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). This study explored family smartphone use during informal science learning at an aquarium in relation to parents' self-reported engagement and parent-child science talk. Children (N = 204; 103 girls; Mage = 70.91 months) and their parents were grouped based on whether they chose to use a smartphone in an aquarium exhibit. A survey asked parents to report family demographics as well as whether the family used a smartphone and whether the parent engaged in off-topic talk while in the exhibit. Researchers also observed smartphone use and audio-recorded conversations with a subsample (N = 50 dyads) while they explored an exhibit in the aquarium. Verbatim conversation transcripts were coded for talk about science and about the smartphone. Results showed parents who chose to use a smartphone during informal learning were more likely to report off-topic talk compared to parents who did not use a smartphone. Parents’ smartphone use did not predict the parent or child science talk during informal learning conversations, but smartphone talk at times outweighed science talk within the micro-interactions of families who were preoccupied with their smartphones. Nevertheless, some dyads used their smartphones in ways that promoted science learning. Smartphone use may distract parents during informal learning when parents are preoccupied with the device, but when leveraged for learning, smartphones may offer opportunities to extend science learning during and beyond the aquarium.

This narrative literature review examines the relationship between media use and young children's self-regulation. Through a literature search of PsycINFO, and a subsequent manual search, authors identified 16 peer-reviewed articles published since 2010 that explored how child and parent television viewing and cell phone use are linked to children's self-regulatory skills. Syntheses of available evidence indicated three pathways that narrate the growing body of research on the relationship between media use and children's self-regulation: (a) children's media use had a direct and bidirectional relationship with self-regulatory skills, (b) children's media use was linked to self-regulation through interactions with parents and caregivers, and (c) parental media use was linked to children's self-regulation through child–parent interactions. Authors discuss policy, practice, and future research implications for early childhood professionals and parent educators, with an emphasis on the timeliness of this review in context of the current global health crisis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background With increases in the use of technological devices worldwide, parental technoference is a potential threat to the quality of parent-child relationships and children’s health and development. Parental technoference refers to disrupted interactions between a parent and child due to a parent’s use of a technological device. The aims of this scoping review are to map, describe, and summarize the existing evidence from published research studies on the impacts of parental technoference on parent-child relationships and children’s health and development and to identify the limitations in the studies and gaps in the literature. Methods This scoping review will be conducted in accordance with the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) methodology. A search for relevant research studies will be undertaken in APA PsycInfo, MEDLINE, Central, Cochrane Database for Systematic Reviews, JBI EBP, and Embase (OVID). CINAHL (Ebsco) and Scopus will also be searched. Grey and popular literature will be excluded. This review will include primary research studies and review papers published in English with no time limit that identify the impacts of technoference on parent-child relationships and child health and developmental outcomes. Parent participants include primary caregivers, either biological, adopted, or foster parents, of children under the age of 18 who engage in technoference. Two reviewers will independently screen the titles, abstracts, and full texts of studies according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Disagreements will be resolved through discussion with a third researcher. Data will be extracted into a data charting table including author(s), year of publication, country, research aim, methodology/design, population and sample size, variables/concepts, and corresponding measures and main results. Data will be presented in tables and figures accompanied by a narrative summary. Discussion The goal of this scoping review is to present an overview of the evidence on the impacts of parental technoference on parent-child relationships and child and health developmental outcomes, highlighting the current risk of children of today. It will identify gaps in the literature, inform future research, advise recommendations for parents on technological device use, and possibly guide the development of interventions aimed at addressing parental technoference. Trial registration Open Science Framework https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/QNTS5

Intimacy is essential for fulfilling romantic relationships. Although many factors can impact intimacy, the increased regular use of technological devices within our daily lives makes technoference an important one to consider. Technoference (i.e., interference in face-to-face interactions caused by the use of technological devices) is commonly associated with relationship difficulties, including conflict, dissatisfaction, and decreased relational well-being. However, less is known about the direct and indirect impact of technoference on intimacy among couples. We hypothesized that negative perceptions of a partner's technology use and poor communication satisfaction within a romantic relationship help explain the association between technoference and intimacy. University students (N = 141), who were in a romantic relationship of at least 6 months duration, completed online questionnaires assessing technoference, perceptions of their partner's technology use, communication satisfaction, and intimacy in their romantic relationship. PROCESS macro model 6 was used to test the serial mediation models. Results suggest that the relationship between technoference (general, partner's, and participant's) and intimacy is serially mediated by negative perceptions of partner's technology use and communication satisfaction. These findings can help to identify and inform strategies to maximize intimacy levels between couples, thus fortifying romantic relationships as a whole. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 pandemic has touched many aspects of people's lives around the world, including their romantic relationships. While media outlets have reported that the pandemic is difficult for couples, empirical evidence is needed to test these claims and understand why this may be. In two highly powered studies (N = 3271) using repeated measure and longitudinal approaches, we found that people who experienced COVID-19 related challenges (i.e., lockdown, reduced face-to-face interactions, boredom, or worry) also reported greater self and partner phone use (Study 1) and time spent on social media (Study 2), and subsequently experienced more conflict and less satisfaction in their romantic relationship. The findings provide insight into the struggles people faced in their relationships during the pandemic and suggest that the increase in screen time – a rising phenomenon due to the migration of many parts of life online – may be a challenge for couples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the world undergoes its fourth industrial revolution, digital media are becoming more prevalent in both rural and urban communities. This shift has had a profound impact on our daily lives, transforming the way we live, work, and communicate. Although technology now plays a crucial role in our daily routine, it can lead to interference in human relationships, a phenomenon referred to as technoference. This interference has significant consequences, particularly in parent-child relationships, as it can adversely affect children's emotional and behavioral development and the mental health and overall functioning of parents. Thus, for children to grow up healthy and for families to be harmoniously balanced, all the family subsystems need to be aligned in a healthy manner. This study conceptualizes how family health is affected when technological devices are brought as a subsystem into a family system. The researchers developed a conceptual multidimensional framework based on several interrelated theoretical concepts, and this framework is presented in three sequential frames for better comprehension, to identify how the interference, in particular, impacts the various dimensions of a healthy family system and contributes to dysfunctional family functioning and mental health issues in both parents and children., (© 2024 National Association of Social Workers.)

Information and communication technology (ICT) facilitates communication within families but may also displace face-to-face communication and intimacy. The aims of this systematic review were to investigate what positive and negative relationship outcomes are associated with ICT use in families, and whether and how the outcomes differ depending on relationship type (romantic relationship, parent–child relationship, or sibling). Included in the review were research published in English between 2009 and 2019 studying the effects of ICT on family relationships with quantitative data. 70 peer-reviewed articles (73 studies) were retrieved and categorized based on four types of ICT variables: personal use, personal use in the presence of a family member (technoference), communication between family members, and co-use with family members. Personal use and technoference were mostly related to negative outcomes due to, for example, displaced attention and more frequent conflicts. Romantic partners were especially strongly negatively affected displaying stressors unique to romantic relationships, such as infidelity. By contrast, communication and co-use showed mostly positive effects across all relationship types. In particular, "rich" communication media resembling face-to-face interaction were strongly associated with positive outcomes. We conclude that ICT impacts family relations in different ways, depending on both the type of relationship and type of ICT use. Personal ICT use tends to weaken both parenting and romantic relationships in ways that can partly be mitigated by co-use and communication. Directions for future research include, assessing how often ICT is used in relationship-strengthening versus relationship-interfering ways, investigating causal pathways between ICT use and relationship quality, and focusing on understudied relationship types, such as siblings and grandparents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Erciyes Communication / Erciyes İletişim Dergisi is the property of Erciyes University, Faculty of Communication / Erciyes Universitesi Iletism Fakultesi and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Smartphone use is ubiquitous in the lives of parents, and an emerging area of research is investigating how parental smartphone use during parent–child interactions affects children's language outcomes. Findings point toward negative outcomes in language development, but it is less clear what processes affect language outcomes. Gaze following, parental responsiveness, and joint attention are also reduced when parents use their smartphone, and all are critical to language development. In this article, we propose that these factors may mediate the effects of technoference due to parents' smartphone use on language development in children from birth to 5 years. Because of methodological differences in the limited research conducted on this topic, it is difficult to draw firm conclusions about this proposal. We discuss these considerations and suggest directions for the field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Praxis der Kinderpsychologie und Kinderpsychiatrie is the property of Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht GmbH & Co. KG and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Background: With increases in the use of technological devices worldwide, parental technoference is a potential threat to the quality of parent-child relationships and children's health and development. Parental technoference refers to disrupted interactions between a parent and child due to a parent's use of a technological device. The aims of this scoping review are to map, describe, and summarize the existing evidence from published research studies on the impacts of parental technoference on parent-child relationships and children's health and development and to identify the limitations in the studies and gaps in the literature. Methods: This scoping review will be conducted in accordance with the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) methodology. A search for relevant research studies will be undertaken in APA PsycInfo, MEDLINE, Central, Cochrane Database for Systematic Reviews, JBI EBP, and Embase (OVID). CINAHL (Ebsco) and Scopus will also be searched. Grey and popular literature will be excluded. This review will include primary research studies and review papers published in English with no time limit that identify the impacts of technoference on parent-child relationships and child health and developmental outcomes. Parent participants include primary caregivers, either biological, adopted, or foster parents, of children under the age of 18 who engage in technoference. Two reviewers will independently screen the titles, abstracts, and full texts of studies according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Disagreements will be resolved through discussion with a third researcher. Data will be extracted into a data charting table including author(s), year of publication, country, research aim, methodology/design, population and sample size, variables/concepts, and corresponding measures and main results. Data will be presented in tables and figures accompanied by a narrative summary. Discussion: The goal of this scoping review is to present an overview of the evidence on the impacts of parental technoference on parent-child relationships and child and health developmental outcomes, highlighting the current risk of children of today. It will identify gaps in the literature, inform future research, advise recommendations for parents on technological device use, and possibly guide the development of interventions aimed at addressing parental technoference. Trial registration: Open Science Framework https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/QNTS5 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most existing research assumes "phone use during face-to-face interactions" to be psychosocially detrimental. Drawing on the digital social multitasking framework, this study explored not only the negative but also positive implications of the behavior. A sample of 517 adolescents (Mage = 14.83, S.D. = 1.93; 50% female) recruited through the Qualtrics panel completed an online survey. Results showed that adolescents' and their friend's digital social multitasking were both associated with (1) greater perceived efficiency, which, in turn, was associated with competence need satisfaction, and (2) greater perceived connection, which, in turn, was associated with better friendship quality, autonomy need satisfaction, and relatedness need satisfaction. Adolescents' own multitasking also had an indirect, negative relationship with friendship quality through perceived distraction, but friend's multitasking did not compromise friendship quality. The study provides a more balanced picture, showing that despite the potential harm of digital social multitasking, adolescents' phone use during face-to-face peer interactions also involves potential benefits for teens' psychosocial well-being. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to examine how problematic media use (technoference, internet gaming disorder symptoms, and pornography use) predicted later partner relationship outcomes, operating through the mediator of partner responsiveness. Participants (N = 1039) were from Waves II–IV of a nationally representative quantitative study on marriage relationships across the United States. Both spouses completed surveys reporting problematic media use, partner responsiveness, and relationship outcomes at three separate time points each spaced a year apart. In order to test the hypotheses, three longitudinal actor-partner interdependence models with indirect paths were estimated, with each model corresponding to one type of problematic media use. Results indicated that at the cross-sectional level, all three types of problematic media use had significant indirect actor and partner effects, where problematic media use predicted lower relationship outcomes through the intervening variable of partner non-responsiveness. Longitudinally, wife technoference directly negatively predicted later partner responsiveness, but there were no full indirect paths of Wave II problematic media to Wave IV relationship outcomes through the intervening variable of Wave III partner responsiveness. Implications of these findings and future directions are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The landscape of modern parenting has shifted as an increasing number of parents have and utilize smartphones and other mobile devices throughout the day. A validated measure of parent distraction with these devices is needed in the field. It is important to have a validated measure of parent distraction with mobile devices (e.g., phubbing, technoference), as this distraction can be common at times and could negatively impact the quality of parenting that children receive. In the current study, I developed a brief, parent‐reported survey measure of parent distraction (DISRUPT), examined its reliability and validity (convergent, divergent) in two survey studies (Study 1, n = 473 parents; Study 2, n = 294 parents), and examined its usefulness in predicting parenting quality (predictive validity). Overall, the results provide initial support for the DISRUPT as a valid and reliable measure of parent problematic tendencies with their phone or mobile devices during time they spend with their children. The DISRUPT's items loaded together well and were internally consistent, and scores were associated with technology use (e.g., problematic phone use) and well‐being variables (e.g., depression, stress) in the expected directions. Results also revealed the measure to be useful, as scores predicted parenting‐related variables over and above other technology use variables. The DISRUPT also functioned as a mediator in a conceptual model of depression and parenting stress predicting parent distraction (DISRUPT) which then predicted parenting quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Television studies have shown that some negative effects of screens could depend on exposure time, but more importantly on the characteristics of the child, the type of content viewed, and the context in which it is viewed. Studies on newer screens show that these factors are still valid but new ones now play a negative role: portable screens increase the duration of exposure and lowered the age at which exposure begins. More worryingly, new screen persuasive designs and dark patterns largely used incite more frequent use, attracting the attention of children and parents, resultantly interfering deeply in parent/child relationships. In this text we suggest that current academic recommendations have to be more broadly shared but also that new recommendations are needed: especially to advise parents not to let their screen interactions compete with real interactions with their child which are the core of learnings (especially language) and emotional regulations but also of their security. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phubbing is suggested to be a new form of social rejection, yet little is known about how people who are being "phubbed" interpret it within different relationships. Based on the social information processing model and the sociometer theory, this cross-sectional study investigated adolescents' attribution for parental phubbing and its associations with adolescents' relationship satisfaction and core self-evaluations. With a survey data from 300 Chinese adolescents, ages 12 to 16, a model linking parental phubbing to adolescents' core self-evaluations was assessed, in which adolescents' relationship satisfaction was a mediator and adolescents' internal attribution for parental phubbing was a moderator. Parental phubbing was found to be associated with lower relationship satisfaction among adolescents who tended to internally attribute for it, which was predictive of their lower core self-evaluations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Digital media, learning, language, book reading, early childhood, robotics, joint media engagement, technoference Müller-Brauers et al. zoom in on the narrative potential of a commercial digital picture book app and found that despite the helpful narrative animations provided by the app, most parents failed to fully exploit the narrative potential. Keywords: early childhood; digital media; learning; language; book reading; joint media engagement; technoference; robotics EN early childhood digital media learning language book reading joint media engagement technoference robotics 1 4 4 10/04/21 20210930 NES 210930 Digital media availability has surged over the past decade. [Extracted from the article]

Technoference refers to incidents in which technology use interferes with interpersonal exchanges (e.g., conversations, playing). Although research on technoference is in its infancy, there is preliminary evidence that mothers believe technoference has a detrimental impact on the social-emotional functioning of their child. The current study investigated the degree to which technoference was associated with attachment between mothers and their elementary-aged children. A second aim was to determine if the relationship between technoference and children's social-emotional functioning may be moderated by mother-child attachment. Surveys were completed by a sample of 80 mothers and their elementary-aged children. This study is unique in asking elementary-aged children to report their perceptions of parental technoference and the impact it has on their relationship with their mother and their own social-emotional functioning. More frequent technoference was associated with less secure mother-child attachment as rated by children, but not as rated by mothers. That is, frequent technoference may not significantly influence a mother's attachment to their child, but it is associated with a child's attachment to their mother. More frequent technoference was associated with decreased ratings by mothers regarding their child's social-emotional functioning. Furthermore, maternal attachment moderated the relationship between technoference and child externalizing behaviors, such that a more secure attachment served as a protective factor against the negative impact of technoference on child externalizing behaviors. However, attachment did not moderate the relationship between technoference and most social skills assessed in our study. Implications from this study are discussed, including ways to increase awareness of technoference among school personnel, parents, and youth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When someone focuses on their phone, rather than the person in front of them ("phubbing" or "technoference"), this can lead to feelings of exclusion and dissatisfaction. Few studies have examined this phenomenon experimentally using a confederate during face‐to‐face interactions, and to our knowledge the published research has yet to examine the role that attributional information may have on the effects of being phubbed. Thus, we conducted an experiment investigating how attributional information influenced the effects of phone use on feelings of exclusion and interactional quality during a face‐to‐face interaction. We randomly assigned 99 young adults into one of three conditions: no phone use, important use, or trivial use. In the phone conditions, the participant's interaction partner (a confederate) pulled out their phone 2 min into the interaction, gave either an important or trivial reason for use, and then interacted with their phone, making intermittent eye contact while continuing to interact with the participant. Phubbed individuals reported feeling more excluded, less close, and like the partner was more distracted in the phone use conditions, regardless of reason. However, individuals phubbed for an important reason reported feeling less excluded and like the partner was less distracted as compared with participants in the trivial condition. Results suggest that people take attributional information into account during the phubbing experience. Given the frequency of phone use during social interactions, these data suggest giving a good reason for use may help in relationships and interactions; yet, it may not alleviate all the potential negative effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Technoference, the interference caused by excessive use of digital devices, has been shown to negatively impact parent–child relationships and children's emotional development. This paper explores the potential of Riau Malay culture, one of Indonesia's indigenous cultures, to offer solutions to the problem of technoference in parenting. Parents can establish closeness, develop their children's potential, and transmit cultural values by returning to cultural values and integrating the principles found in Tunjuk Ajar Melayu or Malay teachings. This approach ultimately contributes to the well-being of families and communities, fostering stronger emotional connections and supporting children's healthy development in the digital era. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Digital media (DM), such as cellphones and tablets, are a common part of our daily lives and their usage has changed the communication structure within families. Thus, there is a risk that the use of DM might result in fewer opportunities for interactions between children and their parents leading to fewer language learning moments for young children. The current study examined the associations between children’s language development and early DM exposure.Participants: Ninety-two parents of 25months olds (50 boys/42 girls) recorded their home sound environment during a typical day [Language ENvironment Analysis (LENA)] and participated in an online questionnaire consisting of questions pertaining to daily DM use and media mediation strategies, as well as a Swedish online version of the MacArthur Communicative Development Inventory, which includes a vocabulary scale as well as a grammar and pragmatics scale.Results: Through correlations and stepwise regressions three aspects of language were analyzed. The child’s vocabulary was positively associated with interactional turn-taking. The child’s vocabulary and grammar were negatively associated with the likelihood of parent’s device use during everyday child routines and the amount of TV watched by the child. The child’s pragmatic development was also positively associated with the parent’s device use in child routines but also with the parent’s joint media engagement (JME), as well as the child’s gender (where girls perform better).Conclusion: Our study confirms that specific aspects of the 2-year old’s DM environment are associated with the child’s language development. More TV content, whether it is viewed on a big screen or tablet, is negatively associated with language development. The likelihood of parents’ use of DM during everyday child routines is also negatively associated with the child’s language development. Positive linguistic parental strategies such as interactional turn-taking with the child, JME, and book reading, on the other hand, are positively associated with the child’s language development.

Studies have demonstrated that parents often exhibit a still face while silently reading their cell phones when responding to texts. Such disruptions to parent-child interactions have been observed during parental media use such as texting and these disruptions have been termed technoference. In the present study, we explored changes to mother-child interactions that occur before, during and after interruptions due to texting using an adapted naturalistic still face paradigm. Specifically, we examined the effect of an interruption due to either maternal smartphone use or use of an analog medium on maternal interaction quality with their 20- to 22-month-old children. Mother-child interactions during free play were interrupted for 2 min by asking the mothers to fill out a questionnaire either (a) by typing on the smartphone (smartphone group) or (b) on paper with a pen (paper-pencil group). Interactional quality was compared between free-play and interruption phases and to a no-interruption control group. Mixed ANOVA across phase and condition indicated that maternal responsiveness and pedagogical behavior decreased during the interruption phase for both the interruption groups (smartphone and paper-and-pencil) but not for the no-interruption group. Children also increased their positive bids for attention during the paper-and-pencil and the smartphone conditions relative to the no-interruption control. These findings are consistent with a large body of research on the still-face paradigm and with a recent study demonstrating that smartphone interruptions decreased parenting quality. The present study, however, connects these lines of research showing the many everyday disruptions to parent-child interactions are likely to decrease parenting quality and that toddlers are likely to detect and attempt to repair such interruptions.

Studies have demonstrated that parents often exhibit a still face while silently reading their cell phones when responding to texts. Such disruptions to parent-child interactions have been observed during parental media use such as texting and these disruptions have been termed technoference. In the present study, we explored changes to mother-child interactions that occur before, during and after interruptions due to texting using an adapted naturalistic still face paradigm. Specifically, we examined the effect of an interruption due to either maternal smartphone use or use of an analog medium on maternal interaction quality with their 20- to 22-month-old children. Mother-child interactions during free play were interrupted for 2 min by asking the mothers to fill out a questionnaire either (a) by typing on the smartphone (smartphone group) or (b) on paper with a pen (paper-pencil group). Interactional quality was compared between free-play and interruption phases and to a no-interruption control group. Mixed ANOVA across phase and condition indicated that maternal responsiveness and pedagogical behavior decreased during the interruption phase for both the interruption groups (smartphone and paper-and-pencil) but not for the no-interruption group. Children also increased their positive bids for attention during the paper-and-pencil and the smartphone conditions relative to the no-interruption control. These findings are consistent with a large body of research on the still-face paradigm and with a recent study demonstrating that smartphone interruptions decreased parenting quality. The present study, however, connects these lines of research showing the many everyday disruptions to parent-child interactions are likely to decrease parenting quality and that toddlers are likely to detect and attempt to repair such interruptions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Digital media (DM), such as cellphones and tablets, are a common part of our daily lives and their usage has changed the communication structure within families. Thus, there is a risk that the use of DM might result in fewer opportunities for interactions between children and their parents leading to fewer language learning moments for young children. The current study examined the associations between children's language development and early DM exposure. Participants: Ninety-two parents of 25months olds (50 boys/42 girls) recorded their home sound environment during a typical day [Language ENvironment Analysis (LENA)] and participated in an online questionnaire consisting of questions pertaining to daily DM use and media mediation strategies, as well as a Swedish online version of the MacArthur Communicative Development Inventory, which includes a vocabulary scale as well as a grammar and pragmatics scale. Results: Through correlations and stepwise regressions three aspects of language were analyzed. The child's vocabulary was positively associated with interactional turn-taking. The child's vocabulary and grammar were negatively associated with the likelihood of parent's device use during everyday child routines and the amount of TV watched by the child. The child's pragmatic development was also positively associated with the parent's device use in child routines but also with the parent's joint media engagement (JME), as well as the child's gender (where girls perform better). Conclusion: Our study confirms that specific aspects of the 2-year old's DM environment are associated with the child's language development. More TV content, whether it is viewed on a big screen or tablet, is negatively associated with language development. The likelihood of parents' use of DM during everyday child routines is also negatively associated with the child's language development. Positive linguistic parental strategies such as interactional turn-taking with the child, JME, and book reading, on the other hand, are positively associated with the child's language development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The omnipresence of smartphones has not stopped at the door to the nursery. It is especially important to better understand the impact of parental smartphone use on relationships at the beginning of children's lives. Babies and toddlers are essentially dependent on caregivers' sensitive and responsive behaviors within the context of the development of attachment patterns. Disturbances in parental sensitivity can have a negative impact on attachment‐related interactional processes between parents and children and on child outcomes, such as self‐regulatory capacity. The goal of this review is to compile existing research on the impact of parental mobile device use through technoference or absorption on parental sensitivity and responsiveness within parent–child interactions in the early years (0–5). We conducted a thorough search of the databases PsycInfo and PubMed, additionally consulting data sources such as Google Scholar and Google. In this review, we included 12 studies with a variety of methodical approaches. The research so far indicates that parental smartphone use may be associated with changes in parental sensitivity and responsiveness. Absorption in the device appears to contribute to this association more strongly than short interruptions of relating per se (technoference). However, to better understand these processes, more in‐depth, longitudinal research is needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]