Study: Many Teens - and Parents - Feel Tethered to Phones
VOA News
August 23, 2018 0:26 AM Associate Press (source)
Study: Many Teens - and Parents - Feel Tethered to Phones
研究顯示：多數青少年及家長覺得被手機綁住了
August 23, 2018 0:26 AM
Associated Press
NEW YORK —
Parents lament their teenagers' noses constantly in their phones, but they might want to take stock of their own screen time habits.
A study out Wednesday from the Pew Research Center found that two-thirds of parents are concerned about the amount of time their teenage children spend in front of screens, while more than a third expressed concern about their own screen time.
Meanwhile, more than half of teens said they often or sometimes find their parents or caregivers to be distracted when the teens are trying to have a conversation with them. The study calls teens' relationship with their phones at times "hyperconnected" and notes that nearly three-fourths check messages or notifications as soon as they wake up. Parents do the same, but at a lower if still substantial rate - 57 percent.
Big tech companies face a growing backlash against the addictive nature of their gadgets and apps, the endless notifications and other features created to keep people tethered to their screens.
Many teens are trying to do something about it: 52 percent said they have cut back on the time they spend on their phones and 57 percent did the same with social media.
Experts say parents have a big role in their kids' screen habits and setting a good example is a big part of it.
"Kids don't always do what we say but they do as we do," said Donald Shifrin, a professor of pediatrics at the University of Washington School of Medicine, who was not involved in the Pew study. "Parents are the door that kids will walk through on their way to the world."
The study surveyed 743 U.S. teens and 1,058 U.S. parents of teens from March 7 to April 10. The margin of error is 4.5 percentage points.
家長對正值青春期的小孩總是緊盯著手機螢幕深感痛惜(lament)，然而，他們可能得仔細思考(take stock of)一下自身使用電子產品的習慣。
美國皮尤研究中心（Pew Research Center）週三（編按：2018 年 8 月 22 日）發表的研究顯示，3 分之 2 的家長擔憂(be concerned about . . .)自己正值青少年時期的小孩花太多時間泡在電子產品的螢幕前，然而超過 3 分之 1 的家長則擔心自己的螢幕時間(screen time)太長。
〔編按：螢幕時間（screen time）是指花在看各種電子產品螢幕的時間， 包括智慧型手機、電腦、電視或遊戲機畫面。〕
與此同時，超過一半的青少年表示，他們想和父母或照顧者講話時，經常或有時會發現父母或照顧者因為手機而分心。這份研究形容青少年和手機的關係有時候(at times)實在「超連結(hyperconnected)」，並提及將近 4 分之 3 （75%）的青少年一覺醒來就會馬上檢查手機訊息或通知(notification)。父母也有同樣的行為，占 57%，雖然比例較低， 但仍然很可觀(substantial)。
大型科技公司面臨越來越強烈的反彈(backlash)，反對科技裝置(gadget)及應用程式具有的成癮特性。這些電子產品無止盡的通知和其他功能的設計都是為了把使用者綁(tether)在螢幕上。
對於手機成癮，很多青少年正試著做點改變：52% 的青少年說，他們已經減少(cut back on . . .)使用手機的時間；57 % 的青少年則表示，他們也降低了使用社群媒體(social media)的時間。
專家提醒，父母對小孩使用電子產品的習慣影響很大，以身作則(set an example)非常重要。
「小孩不會總是照著我們說的做，但會跟著我們做。」唐納・希夫林（Donald Shifrin）表示。他是華盛頓大學醫學院（University of Washington School of Medicine）的小兒科(pediatrics)教授，並未參與皮尤的這項研究。他說：「父母是孩子通往世界的大門。」
這項研究調查了 743 位美國青少年，青少年的家長則有 1058 位參與研究，調查時間從 3 月 7 日到 4 月 10 日（編按：2018 年）。誤差範圍(margin of error)是 4.5 個百分點(percentage point)。
Language Notes
lament [lə`mɛnt] (v) 對 . . . . . . 感到悲痛；痛惜；哀嘆
* 本字亦可作名詞，意指「悲痛之情；哀悼；痛哭」或「哀歌；輓詩；悼詞」
take stock of something (v phr) 仔細考慮；仔細檢視某事
concerned [kən`sɝnd] (a) 憂慮的、掛心的
* 本字常接介系詞片語 "about / for / over . . . "，表示 「憂慮、掛心 . . . . . .」，例如："concerned about the child's safety"「掛心孩子的安全」
at times (prep phr) 有時
hyperconnected [͵haɪpɚkə`nɛktɪd] (a) 透過網路互相連結的狀態；超連結的
* 新聞第 3 段的 "hyperconnected" 一方面指手機連網，一方面也剛好形容青少年和手機的關係非常緊密連結；字首 "hyper-" 表示「高度、過度的」，"connected" 則有「連接在一起」之意
notification [͵notəfə`keʃən] (n) 通知（書）；告示
* notify [`notə͵faɪ] (v)（正式）通知，告知；報告
substantial [səb`stænʃəl] (a) 尺寸或數量龐大；程度高；重要的；可觀的
backlash [`bæk͵læʃ] (n) 強烈反對
tether [`tɛðɚ] (v)（用繩、鏈等）拴、綁
* 本字也可作名詞，表示「（用來拴綁的）繩或鏈」
cut back (v phr) 減少，削減，縮減
* 本片語常接介系詞片語 "on . . ."，意即「減少 . . . . . .」，例如："cut back on day-to-day expenditure"「減少日常開支」
Check your vocabulary!
Fill in the blanks with a word or phrase from the list above. Make necessary changes. After you finish, highlight the blanks to reveal the hidden answers.
1. In our hyperconnected world, employees expect to work from anywhere.
2. The first draft of his novel needed a substantial amount of rewriting.
3. They feared a backlash against the new laws.
4. The government has announced plans to cut back on defense spending by 10 percent next year.
5. The poem opens by lamenting over the death of a young man.
編譯：外語教學暨資源中心 編輯小組
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