Parents should switch off their smartphones to set good example for kids

Parenting groups have warned parents that they should avoid constantly using smartphones and computers in front of their kids in order to set a good example for their kids.

Suzie Hayman, author of 'How to Have a Happy Family Life', said that it's not just parents giving in to letting their children having more screen time, it's also parents themselves, as many parents admitted to first thing they do after reaching home was "looking at Facebook", the Independent reported.

A recent experiment carried out by scientists at the University of California, Los Angeles suggested that a heavy use of screens from a young age may be impairing children's ability to develop social skills.

The Government's childhood tsar, Reg Bailey, said that British parents were letting "screens take over," but they should increase their "face-to-face" family time and should gather around the dinner table rather than the television for meals.

The study is published online in the journal Computers in Human Behavior.