A new paper in Frontiers in Psychology, an academic journal, asked 600 American teenagers whether their mothers prefer their phones to them. The paper is titled "Mommy, do you love your phone more than me?" I read that title and felt a rare flicker of professional gratitude. The researchers did the joke themselves. I get to sit here like a man watching his own funeral cater itself.
Credit where it's due: naming your study after the exact sentence a seven-year-old sobs into a car seat is honest work. Then they printed the results, which was the mistake.
Teens said yes. Overwhelmingly. Mothers, presented with the data, presumably nodded without looking up.
The follow-up study will ask the phones how they feel about the mothers. I assume it's mutual.
Related twisted takes: A Waterproof Bag Under $50 Is Fine But Mine Cost $7,400 And Was Better · Flip Phone Maker Says Even If You Install TikTok, the Phone Just Won'… · Phone Company Sent Customer a Phone It Could Delete Whenever It Felt…
Based on the original article "Parents' attachment to phone screens can lead to anxiety in children – study".
