Great series for parents

Help, is my child more “phone” than smart?

The smartphone as a "friend" - many children and young people are downright addicted.

(Bild: sabine hürdler - stock.adobe.com, APPLE, Krone KREATIV)

During the vacations, many parents shared their observations in restaurants, on the beach or in outdoor pools with the "Krone": instead of making the most of their free time, kids are glued to their smartphones for hours on end like zombies. Dissuading them from doing so can trigger crises both big and small. More and more parents are asking themselves: "Is my child more 'phone' than smart?" In our big guide series, we show the right way to deal with this and reveal what moms and dads can do together with experts. 

"The first thing our children looked for in our vacation home in Croatia was the router," says Ruth H. from Waidhofen an der Ybbs. "I hardly dared to say that there wasn't one. But I had no other choice. The first one had already started crying," says the hairdresser. Her sons are nine and 14 years old and nothing works without their cell phones.

This is not as noticeable in everyday life as it is on vacation. It's hard to persuade them to do things together. "But it was handy on the drive here. Sure, it was quiet in the car. But now it's just annoying," says Ruth H. She had actually imagined her first family vacation after the pandemic to be different.

Our children are increasingly online
Smartphones and tablets have long been more popular with the youngest children than skateboards and trampolines. According to the Upper Austrian Children's Media Study 2020, which was conducted by the market Institute on behalf of the Education Group, more than half of eight to ten-year-olds have their own cell phone or smartphone. The first glance at the display is often in the morning, and often the last in the evening.

Parents often lay the foundations for this close "relationship" with technical devices when children are very young. This is because smartphones & co. are increasingly becoming babysitters. Quickly hanging out the washing, cooking a snack or a short car journey - all this can be done much more easily if the offspring can watch a few YouTube videos or use gaming apps. Even toddlers who can barely stand are adept at using adults' cell phones, clicking and swiping as if they had never done anything else.

I don't know why you should put a one-year-old in front of a cell phone.

Sabine Kainz, klinische und Gesundheitspsychologin

Bild: Eva Schimmer

Sabine Kainz is a clinical and health psychologist specializing in children and adolescents. "From a developmental psychology perspective, there is nothing to be said for keeping very young children busy with digital media." The expert knows that at this age, they process still images - including picture books, for example, but also facial expressions and gestures - better than moving ones. "From kindergarten onwards, the topic of digital media naturally becomes more important, but it should be used very, very sparingly."

The internet is full of opportunities, but also full of dangers. Parents should be aware of these so that they can act correctly and proactively. Read more about this: All stories in the linkbox!

"But I also don't think much of it when children of primary school age are not allowed to be on their cell phones at all - we are simply confronted with digitalization these days. That's a fact," says Sabine Kainz. "But what children need to learn is to regulate themselves." This means consciously consuming media and then turning it off again, even though you may not feel like it.

How do I get my child off their cell phone?

• "Now put that thing away!" - Bans are useless. You need sensible alternatives.
• Create a child-friendly environment that encourages play: provide a play corner, painting table, climbing frame, picture books, etc.
• Meet up with other children
• Set a good example: If the children only see you with a cell phone in your hand, your teachings will not be successful.

The rules can be broken when traveling or in exceptional situations such as illness, says Sabine Kainz, because: "Life doesn't always consist of strict things, and on vacation you sometimes eat two ice creams a day, for example." But parents also have to put up with children being bored. "It's important that children learn to deal with inner tension and boredom," explains Sabine Kainz.