Digital media consumption-low quality parenting link

Parents who don’t control their digital media consumption tend to practise lower-quality parenting, says a study published in Computers and Human Behaviour (August). The study conducted by University of Waterloo, Canada found that parents suffering anxiety are more likely to binge watch television and/or digital media for relaxation. This, in turn, led to negative parenting practices such as nagging and yelling at children.

“It’s not just children who are often on devices. Parents resort to digital media for many reasons, and this indulgence can impact their children,” says Jasmine Zhang, lead author of the study.

However, not all media consumption is correlated with negative outcomes. Maintaining social connections through digital channels results in lower levels of anxiety and depression and higher levels of positive parenting practices. For this study University of Waterloo researchers surveyed 549 parents with at least two children between the ages five-18.

Reasons for gamer rage among children complex

Researchers at the University of Eastern Finland have found complex explanations for outbursts of rage among children playing digital games. A recent study concludes that rage outbursts are linked to their performance in digital games.

“Repeated or last-minute in-game failures, losing to a beginner, causes annoyance and rage. In digital gaming, competitiveness and social factors play a major role,” says Juho Kahila, project researcher at the University of Eastern Finland.

Children often compare their performance to other players. Frustrating actions by other players, such as cheating or losing a game due to incompetent teammates, causes rage. In addition, out-of-game interruptions, such as having to do chores or homework, and technical glitches, such as a poor internet connection, are identified as sources of rage.

Gamer rage manifests verbally and physically. Children not only yell and curse, but also kick, beat and threw items on hand, such as gaming equipment or pieces of furniture.

Teens with parents who smoke are more likely to try e-cigarettes

Teens with parents who smoke are 55 percent more likely to try electronic cigarettes, says a recent study of Irish teenagers. Conducted by researchers of the Tobacco Free Research Institute Ireland (TFRI), Dublin, the study examined data of 6,216 17-18-yearolds with parents who smoked tobacco while they were growing up. The sample teenagers were asked whether they smoked or used e-cigarettes.

The study data showed that teenagers whose parents smoked were 55 percent more likely to have tried e-cigarettes and 51 percent more likely to have smoked cigarettes. The proportion of teens who tried e-cigarettes increased from 23 percent in 2014 to 39 percent in 2019.

“It’s a plain truth that parents and friends influence teenagers’ decisions to try e-cigarettes. This conclusion is important because parents can try to change. However, governments need to play their part by making laws to protect children and young people,” says Salome Sunday, doctoral researcher, TFRI.

8 million children lost a parent/ primary caregiver to the pandemic

A new international study indicates that from January 1, 2020, to May, 1, 2022, nearly 8 million children aged below 18 years lost a parent or primary caregiver to the Covid-19 pandemic. When researchers included the deaths of secondary caregivers like grandparents or other older relatives, the number of affected children rose to 10.5 million. This is a big increase from from the prior estimate of 5.2 million bereaved children.

The study, published in JAMA Pediatrics, also indicates that the greatest number of children affected by the pandemic are in Africa and Southeast Asia. In India 3.5 million children are grieving the loss of a parent or primary/secondary caregiver. However, Bolivia and Peru have the highest rates of children affected, with one out of every 50 children in both countries suffering the death of caregivers during the pandemic.

The findings are “heartbreaking and disturbing,” says Susan Hillis, the main author of the study, and co-chair of the Global Reference Group on Children Affected by COVID-19 and Crisis, an international team that’s been tracking the impact of the pandemic on children.