By George Citroner, Nov 7, 2024
Noah Kass, a licensed psychotherapist in Brooklyn, New York, told The Epoch Times that the issue is not that families spend less time together than they used to but that they are “alone together,” isolated and disconnected in their private “cellphone silos.” Kass pointed out how conversations with partners and children are constantly interrupted by notifications such as texts, calls, emails, and news alerts. “Not all screens are created equal.” Kass invoked the iconic 1950s image of the American family with TV dinners and watching their shows. “Sure, they were watching a screen, but they were doing it together—communicating, laughing, and sometimes even sharing an emotional experience,” he said. “Technology, and particularly the use of smartphones, seems to be creating separation between parents and children, often leading to miscommunication because family members aren’t fully present to hear each other.”
Kass explained that with personal connections compromised, families become vulnerable emotionally and physically. “Cell phone use impacts the quality of conversations between parents and children, making it harder for parents to learn about their children’s lives and harder for children to express their thoughts and emotions honestly,” he said. “Unrestrained, unregulated, and uncontrolled” cell phone use, especially among young children in late elementary and early middle school years, leads to difficulties in processing sensory input, managing emotions like anger and fear, and elevated cortisol levels, which impair their ability to handle stress, Kass said.
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