{"id":4982,"date":"2026-08-18T13:00:32","date_gmt":"2026-08-18T13:00:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bangbizarre.com\/index.php\/2026\/08\/18\/parents-phone-use-may-harm-kids-speech\/"},"modified":"2026-08-18T13:00:33","modified_gmt":"2026-08-18T13:00:33","slug":"parents-phone-use-may-harm-kids-speech","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bangbizarre.com\/index.php\/2026\/08\/18\/parents-phone-use-may-harm-kids-speech\/","title":{"rendered":"Parents\u2019 phone use may harm kids\u2019 speech"},"content":{"rendered":"

2026-08-18 13:00:31<\/b>
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Parents who spend hours scrolling on their phones could be slowing their children\u2019s language development, a study suggests.

\nNorwegian researchers found that parental smartphone use was linked to slower vocabulary development in children, potentially because screens interrupt the conversations and interactions youngsters need to build language skills.

\nThe study, published in JAMA Pediatrics, followed 747 children from the age of five until their eighth birthdays.

\nResearchers from the University of Oslo asked parents about their own phone and social media use, with screen time also recorded directly from their devices. They tracked how much time children spent using screens and whether they owned their own tablet or phone.

\nThe youngsters completed language tests at five, six and seven, measuring vocabulary and grammar.

\nAfter accounting for factors including household income and parents\u2019 education, the researchers found vocabulary development slowed as parental phone use increased.

\nChildren whose parents spent around four hours a day on their phones scored about 2.5 points lower on language tests than those whose parents used their phones for around one hour daily.

\nHaving their own device was also associated with poorer language scores at the beginning of the study. However, that difference had disappeared by the end.

\nDr Junyi Yang, the study\u2019s first author, said: \u201cSmartphone use is often attentionally disruptive. Studies of parent-child interaction show that such disruption can affect children’s word learning and language development.

\n\u201cGreater overall screen use reflects a reduced opportunity for responsive interactions in the home.\u201d

\nThe researchers said increased screen use across the family could replace activities such as reading and storytelling, which help children learn new words.

\nThey concluded: \u201cHigher overall screen engagement within the family may replace high-quality interactions, such as shared reading and storytelling activities that promote word learning.\u201d

\nThe findings come amid growing concern about children\u2019s screen habits. Earlier research found two-year-olds who spent around five hours a day using screens could say significantly fewer words than those using them for less than an hour.

\nThe researchers stressed that differences linked to children\u2019s own screen use had vanished by age seven.

\nWith around 90 per cent of brain growth occurring before the age of five, the findings suggest parents\u2019 phones could be more than a distraction at the dinner table. They may also be stealing precious talking time.
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