3 phone usage skills that both parents and children should practice immediately

(Dan Tri) - A psychologist reveals 3 skills for both parents and children to use the phone effectively, without becoming addicted to the phone and wasting time.

American psychologist Jenny Woo says that cell phones are one of the reasons why many relationships suddenly become bland. Maybe while sitting with relatives and friends, you are constantly scrolling through your phone, instead of focusing on the conversation.

Small things like this can easily affect relationships, because the other person feels disrespected while sharing their story.

According to psychologist Jenny Woo, constantly using the phone when with relatives and friends weakens the bond in the relationship and reduces trust. Even the person who is ignored in the conversation can feel lonely, insecure, sad...

In today's life, using the phone requires a high level of self-awareness to be able to behave properly. Below are 3 skills that parents can apply to themselves and their children in using the phone, so that the whole family has healthy and effective phone usage habits.

Have a specific purpose before you start "surfing" your phone

Parents need to help their children form a culture of using phones early (Photo: Freepik).

Parents should help their children learn to clearly define their purpose before they start "surfing" their phones, determine both the time and how to use them, and avoid using them too much just to feel relieved. To reduce the feeling of "craving" to use the phone and reduce the need to constantly check the phone, parents and children need to set clear rules of conduct to follow together.

For example, when children are having a meal with their family, they will leave their phones in another room, or put them on silent mode. They will wait until the meal is over to check their phones.

If your child is in the middle of a conversation that requires attention, but suddenly remembers something to do on the phone, he or she will write it down in a notebook to remember and deal with after the conversation is over.

If I really need to use my phone during a conversation, I will quickly explain to the other person what I need to do urgently, so they can sympathize and feel respected.

As soon as you realize you're looking at your phone instead of paying attention to the person you're talking to, you should immediately put the phone out of sight, such as in your bag.

If you are the one who commits this mistake while you are with your child, take it seriously and say, "I'm sorry, let's focus on the story now."

Actively keep your phone out of sight

To get quality connections, we need to know when to put our phones aside (Photo: Freepik).

Many studies have shown that simply keeping your phone within reach, even if it doesn't make a notification sound, will still reduce your ability to concentrate, affecting your cognitive ability.

To achieve mental freedom, not being "manipulated" by the phone, not being compelled to use it, to improve learning efficiency, parents need to guide their children to create distance between themselves and the phone. The purpose is to reduce distraction and increase the ability to concentrate.

For example, children need to know how to put their phones in their bags, drawers, or in another room when they have work to focus on.

In fact, there will be times when discipline and self-control will decline. At this time, the distance you proactively create with your phone will help your child not use the phone uncontrollably.

It is these seemingly simple measures that are effective in ensuring concentration and minimizing distraction.

Know how to disconnect

The culture of using mobile phones needs to be formed first in the family (Photo: Freepik).

Receiving a notification on our phone puts our brains in a state of excitement. When we are in this state, it is very difficult to focus. It takes us an average of 23 minutes of effort to focus again.

Distractions prevent us from learning, working effectively, and creating quality, meaningful interactions. We are so distracted that we don’t even realize the problem.

It is important to control your mental state. We must learn to consciously stop using our phones at appropriate times during the day. By doing so, we will be able to control our ability to concentrate.

To minimize distractions caused by your phone, turn off unimportant notifications and switch your phone to "Do Not Disturb" mode when you need to concentrate.

Families also need to set rules about when and where phones are not used, such as during family meals or before bedtime.

When your family welcomes relatives, friends, and colleagues, make sure that they have a quality connection with your family, so that your children see that everything that happens in the house is consistent.

Overall, by being clear in our minds about why we pick up our phones, setting limits on our usage habits, and controlling our phone notifications, we can reduce our phone addiction, improve our focus on studying, working, and making quality connections.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/giao-duc/3-ky-nang-su-dung-dien-thoai-ca-cha-me-va-con-cai-nen-thuc-hien-ngay-20241205153000127.htm