City parents spend 10-11 hrs on phone a day, 3-6 with kids

Mumbai: If you were asked to choose between the company of your child and technology, what would your answer be? In a survey conducted in the city to gauge the relationship between parents and children, more than 70% of working parents said they end up spending 75-80 hours on mobile phone every week, and spend only between 20-40 hours with their children at home. 

    Surprisingly, the scene did not change for stay-athome mothers either as almost 65% said that even though they spent close to 50 hours with their child every week, they spent more time on their mobile phones. 
    Conducted over a period of two months, the survey by Podar Education Network interviewed 5,600 parents and 1,900 children. 
MOBILE DISCONNECT 

•76% of stay-at-home mothers spend over 68 hours a week on their mobile phones 

•70% of the 1,900 children interviewed said their parents talk on the phone while crossing the road and driving a car Both working & stay-at-home parents put phone before family, finds survey 
Experts Warn Of Radiation, Strain On Family Ties 
Mumbai: A survey conducted in the city has found that both working parents and stay-athome mothers end up spending more time on their mobile phones than with their kids. 
    Both parents and children were interviewed for the survey. Students were made to paint their thoughts on a sheet of paper and almost 70% of kids interviewed said that their parents talk on the phone while walking on the road, crossing the road and driving a car. About 68% of kids said their mothers talked on phone while cooking while 89% kids said their dads talked on the phone while eating at the dinner table and watching television. 
    Podar Education Network, which carried out the survey, interviewed over 5,000 parents and nearly 2,000 students in schools, trains, at malls and other public places. "It is true that we are all dependent on technology but we should not let it override human interaction/emotion. Apart from this, radiation is one of the prime drawbacks of all such gadgets and we constantly urge parents to ensure that they keep themselves and their families' safe while using mobile phones," said Swati Popat Vats, president of Podar Education Network. 
    "We know that many times parents don't do this knowingly but it is our responsibility to point to them the same. We are talking about children who have 'mirror neurons' and they tend to follow what their parents or others in the surrounding do. Parents need be aware of this," added Vats, an expert in early childhood behaviour. 
    "Even five-year-old kids are aware of SMS and other messenger services. This is not a healthy trend," said Vats. 
    Health experts pointed out the growing dependence of parents as well as children on technology, leading to loss of quality time in families. "The dependence on technology is leading to many online addiction disorders and also loneliness after a point as people depend heavily on the virtual world and lose touch with what is real," said clinical psychologist Seema Hingorrany. She added that she has counselled families where the dependence on technology has even led to marital problems. "It is about time we take charge of this situation before we become completely helpless. As clichéd as it sounds, no activity should supersede spending quality time with family," she concluded.