Definitely a worthwhile read, Gregg. Thanks for sharing.
I wonder if there's any data on Gen Z parental phone use (i.e., how much time the parents of this group of teenagers spend time on their mobile devices). If anyone knows about this research/topic, I would be interested in resources!
I've really had to work on creating boundaries regarding how much time I spend on my phone in front of or instead of being with my daughter. The author shared a short vignette about how most college students are on their phones prior to class starting,
decreasing peer social engagement. I see this exact phenomenon at kid spaces with a good chunk of parents. I think the basic message that it sends to their kiddos is, "What I'm doing on this small machine is more important, interesting, valuable, (etc.) than
you." (Moreover, what many folks are doing on their phones, especially concerning social media, is directly related to themselves. So then the message gets even a little more warped and reads closer to "My virtual self/existence is more important, interesting,
valuable (etc.) than you." Not the message that we want to be subconsciously instilling into children. Yikes!
Warmly,
Ali