Smartphones and child injuries

Parent Mobile Phone Use in Playgrounds: A Paradox of Convenience

“…The injury potential increased when the supervision was interrupted by scrolling and increased again when on a telephone call. There is recent evidence suggesting children’s safety needs are compromised when parents use their mobile phones [ 34 ], and smartphone ownership by parents’ may help explain the increase in young children presenting at ED with injuries [ 23 , 26 ]. Interviewees acknowledged the potential for interrupted supervision, especially if there was an opportunity to multi-task (e.g., telephone calls or check work emails).…”

“…Interviewees acknowledged the potential for interrupted supervision, especially if there was an opportunity to multi-task (e.g., telephone calls or check work emails). However, worthy of exploration is the notion that a parent/carer may take the child to the playground more frequently because they can use their smartphone to multi-task, e.g., access e-mails, and in turn the child may get injured more, not because the caregiver is distracted but simply because the child goes to the playground more [ 23 ]. Our findings support a recent review where parents reported the need for uninterrupted supervision of children in and around playgrounds, roads and waterways where there is the potential for childhood injury [ 25 ].…”

“…Whilst parent supervision is recognised as being a protective factor for injury in young children [ 18 , 19 , 20 ], there is evidence that there is a reduction in supervision quality as a result of parent MDU [ 21 , 22 ], and an association between parent MDU and injury in young children [ 23 ]. A recent US study found that children’s safety needs were more often at risk when parents used their phones than when they were distracted by other factors, such as talking with other adults or reading printed material [ 24 ].…”

“…A review of the impact of parent MDU on parent–child interaction found increased phone ownership and related increases in parents’ lack of attention to children could be associated with increases in childhood injuries [ 25 ]. US research has also reported a positive association between young children presenting at hospitals with injuries and the rapid adoption of smartphone use [ 23 , 26 ]. One study concluded that distraction from increased mobile phone use was directly associated with an increase in emergency hospitalisation for injuries in children aged 0–5 years; however, there was no association with children aged 6–10 years [ 23 ].…”

“…US research has also reported a positive association between young children presenting at hospitals with injuries and the rapid adoption of smartphone use [ 23 , 26 ]. One study concluded that distraction from increased mobile phone use was directly associated with an increase in emergency hospitalisation for injuries in children aged 0–5 years; however, there was no association with children aged 6–10 years [ 23 ]. Hiniker et al (2015), on the other hand, reported parents did not use their phone in the playground setting because they believed it would compromise their child’s safety and lower their ability to respond.…”