Empathic Communication Skill Optimization for Minimizing Children’s Excessive Use of Gadgets

Abstract

Excessive use of gadgets can have physiological and psychological impacts on children. Physiologically, it can cause obesity due to lack of movement and radiation exposure. Meanwhile, psychologically, it can cause speech delay and ADHD symptoms. Children also become aggressive and throw a tantrum when their parents take their gadgets. Gadgets should be used for learning purposes and under parental supervision because devices can impact children's development, especially those aged 3-8 years who need parental attention and love in their growth and development. This study aimed to obtain data related to empathic communication skills to reduce children's gadget use frequency. This research method uses a quantitative approach with an Untreated Control Group Design with Dependent Pretest and Posttest Sample. The results concluded that there was a significant difference between the pretest-posttest of the experimental group. Therefore, the application of empathic communication skills on parents effectively reduces the frequency of children's gadget use.

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“…Empathy, a cornerstone of a wellfunctioning family (Ponton et al, 2020), is crucial for effective communication. It demonstrates an individual's ability to understand and connect with others, influencing their persuasiveness and character (Rustham et al, 2022). Within the family context, empathetic communication signifies a willingness among family members to comprehend each other, fostering acceptance and strengthening familial bonds.…”