PARENTS are passing on their smartphone addiction to their children, researchers say.
They are guilty of phubbing — ignoring someone in favour of a phone — and damaging their relationships with teenagers.
1
And when mums and dads showed signs of being unable to put down their phones teen addiction was found to be higher.
The same families also reported worse relationships between parents and children.
More than a third of young people showed phone addiction symptoms, according to a study by King’s College London.
Signs include becoming upset when away from their device and losing control over how long they spent scrolling.
The latest study by a public health team at China’s Lanzhou and Shenzhen Universities tracked smartphone use among nearly 10,000 youngsters.
Writing in the Journal of Affective Disorders Dr Yanni Wang said: “Adolescents had a higher tendency toward addiction when their parents excessively used smartphones
“Overuse has become a social issue for adolescents, affecting personal lives and academic achievements.
“It can have debilitating effects on physical and mental health, causing fatigue, indigestion problems, sleep disturbance, depression, anxiety and impulsiveness.”
