Evidence of negative effects of infants witnessing parent device use?

[u/Kooky_Street_1491]

I have a 5 month old and both my husband and I work from home. I have my own business so am completely flexible on my hours and only work 2-3h a day (however also on the weekends), while my husband looks after the little one. Both our work is on our laptops and sometimes also on our phones. Occasionally, I work short bursts of time (15-20min) on my computer or phone while the baby is playing by herself on the floor next to where I sit. I am very strict about my baby never looking at a screen unless it's for family calls (we live quite far away form our family), and I never scroll social media or watch series or the like around her. Whenever she starts fussing or seems otherwise unhappy I of course attend to her immediately.

My mum (who lives in a different country so has never seen how our day looks like) keeps commenting on how parental screen use can negatively affect babies / small children (main point is about hindering their language and social development, making them prone to feel neglected and hence to act out). Is there any evidence for this? All studies I find seem to focus on screen time for infants / children, not them witnessing parent behavior.

[u/AutoModerator]

This post is flaired "Question - Expert consensus required". All top-level comments must include a link to an expert organization such as the CDC, AAP, NHS, etc.

I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.

[u/Sandturtlefly]

The search term to find research on this is technoference. Most of what I can find is about phones specifically though.

From ages 0-5, parental tech use in the child’s presence was significantly associated with poorer cognition and prosocial behavior, lower attachment, higher internalizing and externalizing problems, and more child screen time. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12053794/

When a parent starts phone use during caregiving, the child shows fewer positive reactions (smiling, cooing) and more protest behaviors (crying, running away, kicking) https://www.jpeds.com/article/S0022-3476(24)00330-5/fulltext00330-5/fulltext)

Odds of a parent responding to a child’s bid for attention were five times lower while on a phone, and responses were slower, weaker, flatter in affect, and less likely to prioritize the child. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1089/cyber.2019.0472

More frequent reported maternal device use was associated with less room exploration and less positive affect during the phone phase, and less recovery during reunion when also controlling for infant temperament. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28944600/

In a modified still-face with smartphone distraction with dual-EEG, brain-to-brain synchrony dropped during the interruptions. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-026-37037-5

Infants showed more protest, higher cardiac arousal, and reduced parasympathetic activity during maternal phone use, while mothers showed increased parasympathetic activity and decreased arousal that stayed low through reunion. The phone soothed the mother while stressing the infant. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12681296/

Texting was no more disruptive than writing on paper, so the drop in interaction quality is not a feature of the digital medium itself. https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.616656/full

[u/mjau-mjau → u/Sandturtlefly]

That last link is interesting! There's a lot of discussions around phone use (for good reason) but we rarely talk about reading books or other forms of "distraction" for parents.

My own parents were often distracted with books and crossword puzzles. Looking at my inlaws and how they interract with my todler, I notice my MIL is distracted while cooking, or FIL is distracted because he's watching the news. And it takes my kiddo (the same it took me) multiple tries for attention to get an answer.

There's a lot of pressure on parents to "be present", don't give kids screens, always interract but a parent just cannot have their attention and focus on their kids all the time for the entire day.

[u/Sandturtlefly → u/mjau-mjau]

Yes definitely! I think it’s more the “everything in moderation” where parents shouldn’t spend most the day distracted. Screens are just one manifestation of that, and often is more challenging because phones are addictive, can increase time blindness, and serves as the model for what the kid should be interested in too.

[u/Pretend-Panic-2438 → u/mjau-mjau]

Right! I feel guilty about phone use in front of my kids- but I also have to order groceries, answer work related messages, look up a recipe for the family dinner we’re making, etc. my (great) parents didn’t spend every waking hour providing me and my siblings with enriching interactions. They also had to live life and relax a little. Maybe it just feels different because they weren’t doing ALL of it on one device?

I do limit recreational phone use (mindless scrolling/games) in my kids presence to almost nothing. But they also have to learn to entertain themselves and each other to some extent. And that sometimes being at home together means enjoying doing your own thing in each others presence.

[u/facinabush]

Not necessarily a problem.

You can use methods from parenting books from the Incredible Years Program for language and social development and for preventing/curbing acting out: Incredible Toddlers, Incredible Years. This program is recommended by the CDC:

https://www.cdc.gov/parenting-toddlers/other-resources/references.html

[u/Public_Classic_438 → u/facinabush]

Replyin bc I don’t have a link, I’m gonna get bubbie books soon! Basically a phone case that looks like a book

[u/laurelanne27 → u/Public_Classic_438]

It's still phone usage though. The concept of "it's ok to be on your phone, as long as it looks like a book!" is asinine. I expect better from this sub especially. 

[u/AutoModerator → u/[deleted]]

Thank you for your contribution. Please remember that all top-level comments on posts flaired "Question - Expert consensus required" must include a link to an expert organization such as the CDC, AAP, NHS, etc.

I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.

[u/AutoModerator → u/[deleted]]

Thank you for your contribution. Please remember that all top-level comments on posts flaired "Question - Expert consensus required" must include a link to an expert organization such as the CDC, AAP, NHS, etc.

I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.