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New Study Details The Growing Problem of ‘Technoference’
In a nutshell
- Parents who frequently use phones or tablets around young children may negatively impact their cognitive development, emotional well-being, and behavior.
- When parents are distracted by devices, children tend to mirror this behavior, leading to increased screen time for the kids themselves.
- Setting boundaries around technology use and creating designated screen-free times can help protect crucial parent-child interactions.
WOLLONGONG, Australia — You’ve seen it at the playground: a toddler tries desperately to get mom’s attention while she scrolls through Instagram. Or a father glances at his buzzing phone mid-conversation with his preschooler. These seemingly innocent digital interruptions may be significantly impacting your child’s development, according to Australian researchers.
Researchers call it “technoference” – when your phone or tablet steals attention that would otherwise go to your child. Based on a comprehensive analysis of existing research, this digital distraction is doing more damage than most parents realize.
The team from University of Wollongong in Australia analyzed data from 21 research papers involving nearly 15,000 participants across 10 countries. Their findings were consistent and concerning: when parents frequently use phones or tablets around their young kids, the children showed weaker cognitive skills, more behavior problems, and spent more time on screens themselves.
The numbers paint a concerning picture. Over 70% of parents admit they use devices while playing with their kids or during meals. Even more telling, 89% report checking their device at least once while spending time with their children on an average day.
How Screen-Distracted Parents Affect Child Development
This digital disconnection manifests in various aspects of child development. The research team found that children whose parents were frequently on devices showed:
- Poorer cognitive abilities, including attention problems and weaker thinking skills
- More emotional issues like anxiety and withdrawal
- Increased behavioral problems such as aggression and defiance
- Less prosocial behavior and weaker attachment to parents
- Higher personal screen time, mirroring their parents’ habits
According to the study, “When parents frequently engage with screen-based devices in the presence of their children, the children’s efforts to interact or seek attention may be met with delayed, dismissive, shallow, or absent responses.”
The research revealed that the type of interruption didn’t matter much. Whether parents were briefly checking notifications or deeply absorbed in social media for extended periods, the impact on children appeared similar.
What This Means for Families
For many parents, this research confirms what they’ve intuitively felt – that half-present parenting has consequences. The challenge lies in establishing healthier tech boundaries in a constantly-connected world — a particular problem for people who do online work or are typically dealing with emails.
Experimental studies included in the review revealed that when researchers deliberately interrupted parent-child interactions with phone calls or messages, toddlers tried harder to get their parents’ attention and showed signs of distress, including more negative emotions.
The researchers acknowledge that technology isn’t inherently bad – devices can be valuable parenting tools, providing information, connection and sometimes necessary breaks. The problems arise when digital distraction becomes the norm rather than the exception.
Finding Digital Balance
The research points toward the need for more mindful technology use around children. For parents concerned about their tech habits, the message isn’t to eliminate all devices but rather to create boundaries that protect parent-child interaction.
Some families designate screen-free times or zones, while others practice co-viewing – using devices together rather than in parallel isolation. These approaches may help mitigate potential negative effects.
With devices now embedded in daily life for most adults, the study truly serves as a wake-up call. The moment-to-moment choices parents make about technology aren’t just small interruptions – they’re shaping their children’s developmental trajectory. The next time your phone buzzes while your child is mid-sentence, if this study is any indication, it’s best to let it wait.
Paper Summary
Methodology
This systematic review and meta-analysis followed PRISMA guidelines and searched eight electronic databases for studies examining associations between parental technology use in a child’s presence and various developmental outcomes in children under 5 years old. The researchers initially identified 6,212 studies, narrowed to 30 studies meeting inclusion criteria, with 21 studies containing sufficient statistical data for meta-analysis. The analysis used random-effect models to determine pooled estimates of associations and assessed potential moderating effects of different types of technological exposure (distraction versus interruption). Risk of bias was evaluated using JBI critical appraisal tools.
Results
The meta-analysis of 21 studies involving 14,900 participants found significant negative associations between parental technology use and children’s cognitive development (r = -0.14), prosocial behavior (r = -0.08), and parent-child attachment (r = -0.10). It also found significant positive associations with internalizing behaviors/emotions (r = 0.13), externalizing behaviors (r = 0.15), and increased child screen time (r = 0.23). Although all effect sizes were classified as small, they were consistent across multiple developmental domains. No significant moderating effect was found between different types of technology exposure (distraction vs. interruption). Notably, no studies examined associations with physical activity, motor development, or sleep.
Limitations
The researchers acknowledged several limitations, including the small number of studies available, mostly from high-income countries, limiting statistical power and generalizability. Most studies were correlational, preventing causal interpretations or determining directionality of effects. Additionally, only one validated questionnaire was used to measure parental technology use across the included studies, and the outcomes were categorized into broader domains, which may not fully represent associations with specific developmental outcomes.
Funding and Disclosures
Mr. Toledo-Vargas was supported by the Chilean National Scholarship Program for Graduate Studies-ANID. Ms. Maddren was supported by the 2022 University Postgraduate Award Scholarship through the University of Wollongong, Australia. Dr. Okely was supported by a National Health and Medical Research Council Investigator Grant (GNT1176858). The researchers reported no conflicts of interest.
Publication Information
The study “Parental Technology Use in a Child’s Presence and Health and Development in the Early Years: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis” was published in JAMA Pediatrics on May 5, 2025, with Marcelo Toledo-Vargas as the lead author, along with Kar Hau Chong, Claudia I. Maddren, Steven J. Howard, Bradley Wakefield, and Anthony D. Okely from the University of Wollongong in Australia.
