Parents who take refuge in their smartphones when their kids throw a tantrum may, in the long run, make matters worse, a new study suggests.

　　一项新的研究显示，孩子发脾气父母却躲在智能手机里，从长远来看，可能会使事情变得更糟。

　　The study, of 183 couples with young children, found that stressed-out parents often turned to their electronic devices when dealing with their kids. And when that was a pattern, their kids’ behavior typically worsened over the next several months.

　　这项对183对有小孩的夫妇进行的研究发现，压力过大的父母在和孩子打交道时经常会求助于电子设备，当这成为一种模式后，他们孩子的行为在接下来的几个月里通常会恶化。

　　Researchers said the findings do not prove smartphones are to blame.

　　研究人员说，这些发现并不能证明智能手机是罪魁祸首。

　　But they also said the study raises concerns about what some researchers call "technoference" -- where parents are less present for their children because digital devices are constantly vying for their attention.

　　但他们也表示，这项研究引发了一些研究人员所谓的“科技干预”的担忧——家长注意力都被电子设备吸引走了，对孩子的关注就少了。

　　"Young children can be hard to ’read’ as it is," said researcher Dr. Jenny Radesky. "It’s really difficult to read them when you’re distracted by something else. In general, when you’re toggling between different things, you’re not as good at any of them."

　　研究人员珍妮·雷德斯基博士说:“要理解幼儿其实是很难的。”“当你被别的事情分散了注意力，你真的就很难去理解他们。通常来说，当你在不同的事物之间切换时，你其实一个也不擅长。"

　　Children, in turn, get frustrated when mom and dad appear to be withdrawing from them into a device. "They may learn that they have to act out to get attention," said Radesky, an assistant professor of pediatrics at the University of Michigan Medical School, in Ann Arbor.

　　反过来，当爸爸妈妈似乎要把自己沉迷在电子设备里时，孩子也会感到沮丧。伊南阿伯密歇根大学医学院儿科助理教授雷德斯基说:“他们可能意识到，他们必须采取行动以吸引(家长的)注意力。”

　　However, that doesn’t necessarily mean smartphones and other devices are the root of the problem, according to Yamalis Diaz, a clinical assistant professor of child and adolescent psychiatry at NYU Langone Health, in New York City.

　　不过，纽约市纽约大学朗格健康学院儿童和青少年精神病学临床助理教授雅玛利·迪亚兹说，这并不一定意味着智能手机和其他设备是问题的根源。

　　Parents who are having trouble managing their children’s behavior -- for various reasons -- may be the ones most likely to constantly check their phones, said Diaz, who was not involved in the study.

　　迪亚兹说，管理孩子的行为有困难的父母——由于多种原因——可能是最有可能经常查看手机的人。迪亚兹并没有参与这项研究。

　　Device use, she explained, may be a "symptom" of a broader issue.

　　她解释说，设备使用可能是更广泛问题的一个“症状”。

　　That said, there are reasons to be concerned about today’s mobile technology.

　　那也就是说，对于现在的手机移动科技，有许多因素要考虑。

　　Parents have long turned to media -- a TV show or a book -- to get a break from their kids, Radesky said.

　　雷德斯基说，父母早已转向媒体——电视节目或书籍——以便让自己在照顾孩子之余放松一下。

　　But mobile devices can interfere with parent-child interactions anytime, anywhere. Plus, they are simply more absorbing than books or TV, because they "contain your whole life," Radesky added.

　　但是移动设备可以随时随地干扰亲子互动。此外，它们比书籍或电视更吸引人，因为它们“涵盖了你全部的生活”，雷德斯基补充道。

　　"It’s your email, it’s your work, it’s the news," she said. "There are social demands, because you’re expected to be responsive to other people on social media."

　　她说:“你有电子邮件要处理，有工作要做，有新闻要看。有许多社会需求，因为你得对社交媒体上的其他人做出响应。”

　　Diaz agreed that the pull of mobile technology is an issue. "We are concerned about decreased quality in parent-child interactions because of technology use -- in both parents and kids," she said.

　　迪亚兹也认为移动科技的吸引力是个问题。她说:“我们担心科技的使用会降低亲子互动的品质——无论是对父母还是对孩子来说。”

　　But it’s not just that life demands are forcing parents to be on their phones: As the study suggests, many parents may use devices as a buffer against parenting stress.

　　然而，不仅仅是生活需求迫使父母沉迷于手机，研究表明，许多父母可能会使用手机来缓解养育孩子的压力。

　　If you’re home all day with the kids, Radesky said, it can be a relief to "see what’s going on in the adult world."

　　雷德斯基说，如果你一整天都在家带孩子，那么“看看成人的世界里发生了什么”会是一种解脱。

　　However, Diaz said, if parents are habitually "hiding in their phones" because of stress, they need to figure out the true source of that stress.

　　不过迪亚兹说，如果父母因为压力而习惯性地“躲在手机里”，他们需要找出真正的压力源。

　　The study, published online recently in the journal Pediatric Research, involved couples with a child younger than 6. Parents were surveyed three times over six months about their device use during time with their kids; levels of parenting stress; and whether their children had behavioral issues like restlessness, being easily frustrated, or throwing temper tantrums.

　　这项研究最近在网上发表在《儿科研究》杂志上，研究对象是有6岁以下小孩的夫妇。在六个月的时间里，父母被调查过三次，了解他们和孩子在一起时使用电子设备的情况;育儿压力水平;他们的孩子是否有躁动不安、容易沮丧或发脾气等行为问题。

　　Almost all parents said their device use interrupted time with their kids at least once a day, the researchers found.

　　研究人员发现，几乎所有的父母都表示，他们陪伴孩子的时间里，每天至少会有一次被电子设备打断。

　　In general, the study found, parents were more stressed when their kids had more behavior problems. Those stressed parents were more likely to use devices during family time. And parents’ device use, in turn, was linked to worsening behavioral problems over time.

　　总的来说，研究发现，当孩子有更多的行为问题时，父母压力更大。那些压力大的父母更有可能在亲子时间里使用电子设备。随着时间的推移，设备使用反过来又与行为问题恶化有关。

　　It’s not that parents need to ditch their phones, or be "100 percent responsive" to their kids all the time, according to Radesky. But having device-free family time each day is crucial.

　　雷德斯基说，这并不是说父母需要扔掉手机，或者一直对孩子“百分百的响应”。但是每天都有不被电子设备所干扰的亲子时间是至关重要的。

　　Diaz agreed. "Have some concentrated, quality time together to show your child that you’re present and responsive," she advised.

　　迪亚兹认同这个观点。“有一些集中的、优质的时间在一起，让你的孩子看到你在陪着他，和他互动。”她建议。

　　It’s also wise, Radesky said, to "build some self-awareness" around your device use: For example, keep track of how much time you spend on phones and computers -- since it can be easy to lose yourself for an hour or more.

　　雷德斯基说，围绕你的设备使用“建立一些自我意识”也是明智的:例如，持续跟踪你花在手机和电脑上的时间——因为一个小时或更久会很容易迷失自我。

　　Radesky also suggested thinking about the types of content that stress you out, or can make you irritable with your kids -- whether that’s work emails, social media or reading the news. Then try avoiding those "triggers" when your kids need your attention.

　　雷德斯基还建议考虑那些让你压力很大或者会让你对孩子烦躁不安的内容——无论是工作邮件、社交媒体还是阅读新闻。然后当你的孩子需要你关注时，尽量避免那些“触发因素”。