The Conversation, October 5, 2026
Excerpt: "Have you ever been telling someone a story when their phone lights up, and their eyes flicker toward their device? Maybe they check the notification or they send a quick reply. Although the interruption only lasts a few seconds, the conversation, and your connection, has been disrupted.
There’s a name for these small, everyday technology-related interruptions that disrupt in-person interactions: “technoference.”
What happens when the person seeking the attention is a small child, and the person looking at their screen is their parent? In our new research, we wanted to see what actually happens when technology interrupts parent-child interactions.
Interrupting moments of connection
Screens on phones, tablets and smart watches are now part of everyday life, and technoference is common. One study from the United States found that 89 per cent of parents report that digital devices interrupt interactions with their children at least once a day.
Another recent study from the U.S. found that parents spent an average of five hours a day on their phones while they were with their babies.
