Whether it’s lockboxes or control apps, parents have searched far and wide for ways to reduce their child’s screen time. A new study suggests that the answer may lie in the parent’s own screen habits.

Using a phone in front of your child can have more of an effect than you might think.

The study, published this month in the journal Pediatric Research, shows that parents’ screen use is associated with increased adolescent screen time – along with problematic social media, video game and mobile phone use. Problematic use can include addictive behaviors such as withdrawal, building tolerance, relapse and obsessive thoughts, which may disrupt daily functioning, according to the study.

The researchers analyzed data from the national Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study, involving over 10,000 families with 12- and 13-year-olds. The data revealed that 72.9% of parents said they use screens around their adolescents. This is a huge predictor of a child’s screen use, according to Dr. Jason Nagata, lead study author and an associate professor of pediatrics at the University of California, San Francisco.

When a child sees their parent using a screen, experts say, they are likely to mimic the behavior.

Surveyed parents rated their agreement with statements such as “When I am with my child, I use a screen-based device” on a scale from 1 (strongly disagree) to 4 (strongly agree). Each point increase was associated with a nearly 40-minute rise in their children’s screen time.

“Even if parents think their kids are not paying attention, the data shows one of the biggest predictors of preteen screen use is what their parents do with screens in front of them,” Nagata said.

Dr. Ken Ginsburg, a professor of pediatrics at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia who was not involved in the study, added that parents are role models for their children 24/7.

“Our actions can speak so loudly that kids can’t hear the words we are saying. Practicing what we preach makes all the difference,” he said.

Using screen time as a reward or consequence might also be counterproductive, increasing usage. Preteens, who may be increasingly turning to social media for support and identity exploration, can view these parenting practices as intrusive, leading to rejection of rules, according to the study.

“When parents are overly controlling, it backfires,” Ginsburg said. “Kids watch what we do and don’t like to be controlled. When kids perceive we set rules to control them, they always go around those rules.”

The screen age

Children’s average daily screen time more than doubled during the Covid-19 pandemic, according to previous research, and some nations are grappling with how to curb the potential negative effects.

Regulators in China have proposed a two-hour daily limit on phone time for minors. In the US, the surgeon general has called for warning labels on social media apps to mitigate “significant harms” associated with their use.

“Screen use is on the rise for everyone,” Nagata said. “While screens in themselves are not inherently bad … teenagers are particularly vulnerable to excessive use.”

Specifically, screen overuse reduces the essential sleep time and quality needed for a kid’s healthy development, according to Nagata and previous research.

Beyond role modeling, open communication and creating a media plan are effective strategies for balanced screen use, according to the study and guidelines from the American Academy of Pediatrics’ Family Media Plan.

Dr. Susan Tomopoulos, co-developer of the plan and an associate professor of pediatrics at NYU’s Grossman School of Medicine who was not part of the new study, said the increased pandemic screen times were an impetus for the academy to update its media recommendations.

“After the pandemic, parents were turning to doctors because they wanted to manage their family’s media habits,” she said, “but they were overwhelmed and didn’t know where to start.”

Setting up healthy media practices begins with a family conversation to customize screen time guidelines and outline screen-free zones around the house, according to the academy.

This is especially important in the bedroom and dining room, where screen presence is associated with higher adolescent screen time and problematic social, video game and mobile phone use, the study found.

Prioritizing screen-free activities and face-to-face time is crucial for a child’s healthy development, according to Tomopoulos.

“It is so easy for adults, as well as kids, to get caught up in swiping and scrolling. We really want entire families to check their digital habits at home … and to talk early and often about technology media,” she added.

How to have a conversation with your child

Initiating a productive discussion on media use starts with conveying to the child, “I set rules because I care,” according to Ginsburg, who is also co-founder and program director of the Center for Parent and Teen Communication.

“One of the biggest myths is that teenagers do not care what their parents say. When we set rules, it is important we communicate why,” he said. “The baseline should be ‘I care about you, and therefore blank,’ instead of ‘don’t do blank.’ ”

The conversation may end with an agreement on certain principles such as establishing a “one screen at a time” rule and limiting screens at mealtime, bedtime and study time, as recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics.

As the ABCD Study continues to follow participants into adulthood, research into the long-term effects of excessive adolescent screen use is also unfolding.

“There’s going to be a lot more guidance for parents to help their children navigate social media,” Nagata said. “The goal is to give children the skills to develop healthy screen behaviors for their young adulthood and beyond.”

Correction: A previous version of this story spelled Dr. Ken Ginsburg’s name incorrectly.