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Adults & tech: How to unplug and the negative effect it's having on your kids

A study shows one-third of children say they feel unimportant when their parents on on their phones.

This week, we've been telling you about how your kids are constantly in front of a screen: the dangers, red flags and the lessons they're learning. But a lot of adults admit that they are just as guilty of being "plugged in" too much.

What is your addiction doing to your child?

A study from AVG Technologies looked at families across Europe and the U.S. It found one-third of children said they felt unimportant when their parents were on their phones. 54 percent said they think their parents are on their phone too much. And 52 percent of parents agreed that they were on their phones and distracted at meal time, play time and other family moments.

MORE | The warning signs that your teen is addicted to video games

MORE | Toddlers & tech: How screen time impacts brain development and behavior

MORE | Technology in the classroom

So, what can you do about it?

“What I recommend to moms that have school aged kids, you pull into the driveway, you've picked your kids up from school or daycare, this is going to sound crazy, I know... Leave the phone in the car, 45 minutes, 30 minutes - try 10 minutes ok?” says Melanie Hempe of Families Managing Media.

Psychology Today had these tips for going through a “technology detox”:

- Plan what kind of technology you're going to give up and for how long.

- Start small. don't try and go cold turkey for long periods of time, but instead set shorter time goals for keeping away from tech.

- Don't just remove your phone or computer, you need to replace that habit with another healthy habit. Doctors say you could end up taking on another bad habit or just going back to your phone addiction.

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