A report: Cell struck Mumbai Parents

Here is what the study shows:More than 70% of working parents said they end up spending 75-80 hours on mobile phone every week, and spend only between 20-40 hours with their children at home. 76% of stay-at-home mothers spend over 68 hours a week on their mobile phonesHarmful acts by parentsAlmost 70% of kids interviewed said that their parents talk on the phone while walking on the road, crossing the road and driving a car. Loss of family time & over dependence on technologyLoneliness & online addiction disorders after a point as people depend heavily on the virtual world and lose touch with what is real,What you could try:What works very well with me is to demarcate a time thats phone free and thats the time at the park each day with my kids.

A latest report on a survey conducted by Podar Education network who interviewed 5600 parents and 1900 children found results that I donâ€™t think any of us would be surprised with. Both parents and kids were interviewed and children were even asked pain their thoughts on paper. It shows that parents in Mumbai spend 10 â€“ 11 hours on the phone and a third of that with their kids.

Here is what the study shows:

More than 70% of working parents said they end up spending 75-80 hours on mobile phone every week, and spend only between 20-40 hours with their children at home.
Stay-at-home mothers spend almost 65% Â with increased number of hours i.e. close to 50 hoursÂ with their child every week
Conducted over a period of two months, the survey by Podar Education Network interviewed 5,600 parents and 1,900 children.
76% of stay-at-home mothers spend over 68 hours a week on their mobile phones

Harmful acts by parents

Almost 70% of kids interviewed said that their parents talk on the phone while walking on the road, crossing the road and driving a car.Â
About 68% of kids said their mothers talked on phone while cooking

Emotional disconnect

Â 89% kids said their dads talked on the phone while eating at the dinner table and watching television.
Loss of family time & over dependence on technology
Loneliness & online addiction disorders after a point as people depend heavily on the virtual world and lose touch with what is real,â€_x009d_

What you could try:

What works very well with me is to demarcate a time thatâ€™s phone free and thatâ€™s the time at the park each day with my kids. If you are just heading down to the building park or for a few minutes to pick your kids up donâ€™t carry the phone. You will also love the moments you spend with your kids and the time you can disconnect from people and work.
Having phone free time is bound to reduce anxiety in parents. With no new information the brain is less susceptible to highs & lows and anxiety.
Meal times. Convert meal times into conversations and make sure you have one meal together as a family. The best meal that works for us is Breakfast
Reading Time: When you are putting your kids to bed and reading to them donâ€™t carry your phone in the room. Let that be exclusive time. It works brilliantly well
Family Time: In our case the family hugs work brilliantly well. If one person announces its family time everybody has to drop whatever they are doing and come together for a great big family hug.

I am not surprised that our kids know about SMS, BBM, Whatsapp, Profile pictures, FB pictures, and pose perfectly for our status updates. Â I also believe that sometimes in capturing that moment we miss enjoying that moment. We often complain that our kids canâ€™t get enough of the TV or games on the phone but they are just emulating us and itâ€™s the parents that need to take the first step. Share with us your ideas ob phone free time in the comments below

Image Source: Times of India, Mumbai

Source: TOI, Mumbai & Podar Education Network