It’s probably best to avoid scrolling through Instagram or Twitter while your kids are around, writes Sara Novak in Fatherly. In a recent study, researchers linked screen time to “poor parenting” behaviors such as inconsistent rule enforcement, yelling, nagging, and saying mean things. “When kids are showing difficult behaviors, parents might use technology to withdraw. And when you’re more absorbed in media, you might have stronger, less patient reactions to your children,” said the study’s lead author Jasmine Zhang. That said, not all forms of parental social media use are bad for kids. “Using media to maintain social connections — for example by texting, video chatting, and emailing friends — was actually linked to good parenting, such as cheering up your child when they’re sad, providing care and attention to your child, and listening to your child’s ideas and opinions,” writes Novak.
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