Parents issued warning over 'phubbing' in front of their kids

Most of us will find ourselves glued to our phones at certain points during the day.

Whether we’re catching up with our social media feeds over our lunch break, chatting with friends and family in seemingly never-ending chat threads, watching videos on our commute, ordering takeaways, or treating ourselves to some new clothes, skincare or makeup, this could actually be having a negative effect on our relationships.

This is especially true if we’re constantly on our phones when we're with people we’re meant to be paying attention to.

If you’ve ever missed part of a conversation as you double-tap or reply to a quick email, or aren’t fully in the moment, you’ll likely already be familiar with the act of ‘phubbing’. And an expert has warned parents, in particular, against doing so in front of their children.

You may not want to make 'phubbing' a habit when you're with your kids (Vera Livchak/Getty Images)

Essentially, ‘phubbing’ is what happens when someone turns their attention to their smartphone during a face-to-face interaction, with the word being a hybrid of ‘phone’ and ‘snubbing’. See what they did there.

You might have even found yourself feeling frustrated when someone is too wrapped up in their phone at the dinner table or as you try to talk to them and their attention is elsewhere. And this can have a bigger impact than we might realise on children, when parents do it around and in front of them.

According to Mary Alvord, PhD, co-author of ‘Conquer Negative Thinking for Teens’, it is incredibly important to give children our undivided attention when they need it.

She told Very Well Mind: “I think the big question here is… are parents giving undivided attention when their kids need it?

“Or are they shooing them away more than usual? It happens to everybody sometimes. The key is how much.”

And Felice Martin, MS, NCC, LPC, CPCS, NeuroCoach+ NeuroLeader at Behavioral Health Associates of Georgia, LLC, concurred. Without realising it, ignoring our kids can have an impact on them both physically and psychologically.

Sometimes, it's important to put the phone down (Getty Stock)

She explained: “Parents rely on the convenience of smartphones (i.e., alarms, book reading, scheduling, news, social connections, etc.), thus creating a sense of dependence.

“In fact, we often hear parents’ comment that they ‘can’t go anywhere’ without their phone.”

All this can cause children to feel like they’re being ignored and given that many little ones and teens mimic what they see around them, the last thing you want is for them to be as glued to their screens and reliant on them as they grow up.

Instead, try to be present and set a few more boundaries when it comes to where and when you can use your phone. We know it's easier said than done.