Parents' excessive screen time contributes to 'problematic internet use' in children, study finds

The report said that 'excessive parental phone use disrupts parent–child interactions, undermines family relationships, and contributes to children’s emotional distress and problematic internet use'. File picture: iStock

Parents who are always on their phones are contributing to their children having “problematic internet use”, a new study has said.

The Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) has said there is a pressing need to address the challenges of parenting in a digital era, while its report highlighted an “urgent need” for better research to get a fuller picture of how children’s wellbeing is affected by technology.