CACM logo

This Article

ACM News

The Risks of Parenting While Plugged In

The New York Times

June 10, 2010

[article image]
William Zbaren for The New York Times

While waiting for an elevator at the Fair Oaks Mall near her home in Virginia recently, Janice Im, who works in early-childhood development, witnessed a troubling incident between a young boy and his mother.

The boy, who Ms. Im estimates was about 2 1/2 years old, made repeated attempts to talk to his mother, but she wouldn’t look up from her BlackBerry. “He’s like: ‘Mama? Mama? Mama?’ ” Ms. Im recalled. “And then he starts tapping her leg. And she goes: ‘Just wait a second. Just wait a second.’ ”

Finally, he was so frustrated, Ms. Im said, that “he goes, ‘Ahhh!’ and tries to bite her leg.”

Much of the concern about cellphones and instant messaging and Twitter has been focused on how children who incessantly use the technology are affected by it. But parents’ use of such technology--and its effect on their offspring--is now becoming an equal source of concern to some child-development researchers.

From The New York Times
View Full Article

Post a comment...
Name: Anonymous

Signed and anonymous comments submitted to this site are moderated and will appear if they are relevant to the topic and not abusive. Your comment will appear with your username if you are signed into the site, and will be anonymous if you are not signed in. View our policy on comments

Tools For Readers

Bookmark and Share
Default Font Size Large Font Size X-Large Font Size Text Size

Related ACM Resources

Conferences:

Courses:

  • Time Management (Second Edition) - This course is intended primarily for entry-level managers who need to learn time-management techniques so that they can use their time appropriately to accomplish professional …
More About ACM Resources

About Communications | Join ACM External Link | Renew External Link | Subscribe External Link | Sign In | For Authors | For Advertisers External Link | Privacy | Site Map | Help | Contact Us | Mobile Site

Copyright © 2012 by the ACM. All rights reserved.

Back to Top