What the studies found

What the studies found

Several recent studies point to associations between heavy screen use by parents (and by children) and less-ideal parent-child interactions or child development outcomes.

Key findings

• One study of 400 parents of children aged 5–12 found that parents’ smartphone use in the presence of their children (i.e., when the child is nearby and the parent is using their phone) was associated with lower emotional intelligence (EI) in the children. The Current

  • The logic being: when a parent is on their phone, the child may interpret the parent as less responsive, which can reduce the emotional feedback children get. The Current

  • The lead researcher commented: “The takeaway is for parents to be more mindful of how often they are using their phones around their children.” The Current

• Another study (from Australia) looked at very young children (12–36 months) and found that increased screen time (for the child) was associated with fewer adult words spoken, fewer child vocalizations, and fewer “conversational turns” (back-and-forth between parent and child). PMC

  • For instance, at 36 months, each additional minute of screen time was associated with ~6.6 fewer adult words heard by the child. PMC

  • The study interpreted this as evidence of “technoference” (technology‐based interference) where screens reduce opportunities for parent-child interaction. PMC

• A meta-analysis from 2025 of 21 studies (involving almost 15,000 children under five) found that parents’ use of technology in a child’s presence (even when the child was not using it) was associated with poorer cognitive and social behavioural outcomes, and more screen time among the children. University of Wollongong

  • The researchers emphasised that it’s not necessarily about blaming parents, but raising awareness of how “small, intentional changes can make a meaningful difference.” University of Wollongong

• Another earlier survey of parents found that on average, parents used their smartphones around 234 minutes/day (~3.9 hours) and checked their phones about 66.8 times per day. PMC

  • This provides context on how frequent parent screen use is.

What the story you heard (“too much screen time makes you nag and yell more”) actually is

• I did not locate a study in which the headline claim is exactly “parents who spend too much time on smartphones are more likely to nag and yell more.”

• However, the evidence above does show that heavy parental screen/device use is associated with less responsive parenting, fewer conversational exchanges with children, potentially weaker emotional/social development for children.

• It is plausible that less engaged, distracted parenting (via frequent screen use) could indirectly lead to more frustration, more nagging or yelling — because the parent might be less attuned, the child less engaged, the family routines more disrupted. But I did not find a peer-reviewed study with that precise phrase (nag & yell) as the main outcome.

So what does this mean for a “good parent / bad parent” narrative?

It’s important to tread carefully. The research shows associations — not proof of causation in every case. Here are some nuances:

• Association ≠ causation: Just because parents who use screens a lot show different interaction patterns does not mean the screen use causes all the outcomes. Many factors (stress, socioeconomic status, number of children, mental health, etc) are involved. For example, the Australian study controlled for maternal education, number of children, psychological distress. PMC

• Context matters: Screen use in itself isn’t always bad. It depends how, when, why. For example: Are screens interrupting mealtimes, parent-child play, reading? Or are they used in a way that still allows for interaction? The 2025 meta-analysis suggests that when technology interferes with parent-child interactions, that’s where problems tend to show up. University of Wollongong

• Effect sizes are often small: The meta-analysis noted that while associations were consistent, the magnitudes were generally small. University of Wollongong

• Parenting is more than screen use: Good parenting involves many facets — emotional availability, responsiveness, structure, support — so screen use is one piece of a much larger puzzle.

Practical tips (based on the research)

Given what the studies suggest, here are some suggestions for parents (or parents‐to‐be) who are concerned:

1. Be intentional with device use – For example, intentionally setting “screen-free” times (dinner, bedtime, play) or zones (e.g., no phone on the couch when playing with the child).

2. Increase parent-child interaction – More conversational turns, talking, reading together, playing. One study found each extra minute of screen time in children was correlated with measurable reduction in adult words. PMC

3. Use screens with children rather than just next to them – If a parent uses a device while the child is present, try to make it interactive: talk about what you’re doing, show the child, pause and engage. The emotional intelligence study flagged that mere presence of parent phone use (and the child perceiving lack of responsiveness) was an issue. The Current

4. Be mindful, not guilt-ridden – The point isn’t to blame parents who use devices (we all live in a digital age, many demands), but rather to increase awareness of how device use can interrupt connection. The 2025 meta‐analysis explicitly said “Our goal isn’t to make parents feel guilty.” University of Wollongong

5. Model good behaviour – Children learn from how parents behave. If phones constantly pull attention away, children may feel their bids for attention go unmet.

6. Check your own stress/load – Sometimes parents use screens to decompress or manage overwhelm. If you’re feeling overly stressed, distracted, or depleted, the phone becomes an easy escape — which means tackling underlying stressors is part of the solution.