Connecting With Your Kids in a Tech-Filled World

Ask your child “how was your day?” and invariably you will be met with a monosyllabic grunt, offering you absolutely nothing in the way of information and very few details that could lead to a meaningful conversation. Throw in the distraction of a TV, tablet or smartphone screen and the situation goes from difficult to borderline impossible.

In today’s always-on world, kids under 14 now spend more time on their smartphones than they do talking to their parents. On average, a child will now spend 23 hours a week using personal devices but just 12 hours engaged in conversation with their family members [1]. Isn’t it ironic that in a world of screens and social media, technology purposefully designed to connect us with one another has become a conversational barrier within our own families?

Take a look at this picture…

No doubt this image depicts an all-too-familiar scene. Unfortunately, this is the reality of 21st-century dining dynamics—precious family time usurped by kids’ voracious appetite for tech over talk. For parents looking to use this time to emotionally connect with their kids, the stark reality is that the only connection their children are really interested in is the one with the Wi-Fi.

The stark reality is that the only connection children are really interested in is the one with the Wi-Fi.

From an emotional standpoint, this is naturally frustrating for parents. But unfortunately, it’s more than just family bonding time kids are losing out on when they're staring at screens over their spaghetti and meatballs (or the latest vegan equivalent). Research reveals a number of benefits to children who regularly participate in screen-free sit-down meals with their parents. Dr. Gail Saltz, clinical associate professor of psychiatry at the New York Presbyterian Hospital, says:

Children who have regular sit-down meals with their family are less likely to abuse drugs and alcohol or get pregnant as teenagers. They earn better grades. These benefits don’t accrue just because parents and children are munching carrots at the same time; they happen because the family is communicating [...

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