A new research shows that adults pay more attention to their smart phone than their children during restaurant outings.

And adults tend to react harshly – and in some cases, physically – to the children who interrupt their screen time, reports Health Cleveland Clinic.

Researchers from Boston University spent time watching 55 adults at a fast-food restaurant. Each of the adults was with one or more young children.

Forty of the adults used a smart phone during the meal. Sixteen used the device the entire time while they ate with the children.  They put the smart phone down only briefly.

Many children appeared to test limits or exhibit provocative behaviors during the time their caregiver concentrated on the smart phone.

The caregivers buried in their devices frequently ignored the child’s behavior for a while and then reacted harshly when the children misbehaved.

Mobile devices can distract parents from face-to-face interactions with their children, says board-certified pediatrician Elaine Schulte, MD, MPH, of Cleveland Clinic Children’s. These face-to-face interactions are crucial for cognitive, language and emotional development.

Handheld devices, with their instant access to videos and games, have the potential danger to replace enriching parent and child activities, the study says. Some parents also tend to use mobile devices as a “pacifier” to control child behavior.

Mealtimes are a time for parents and children to relax and talk, Dr. Schulte says.