智慧手機使年輕人情緒感受遲鈍嗎？ Are smartphones making young people emotionally stunted?

It’s the generation that can understand exactly how you’re feeling through a few simple emoticons.

這是個只要透過幾個簡單的表情符號就能了解你感受如何的世代。

But now researchers claim that children are now so engrossed in their phones, they are unable to accurately read how people are feeling in real-life.

但是現在研究人員宣稱，現在孩子花太多時間在他們的手機上，以至於無法精準解讀真實世界中人們的感受。

This is the result of less face-to-face time interaction, according to the study, which found young kids are glued to electronic devices for nearly five hours each day.

根據這份研究，這是較少面對面互動的結果。這項研究發現孩童每天有將近5小時的時間3C設備不離手。

The finding was made after testing the ability of 11 to 12-year-olds to recognise the emotions of people pictured in photos.

這項發現是經測試11到12歲者辨識照片中人們情緒的能力所得出。

’’Many people are looking at the benefits of digital media in education, and not many are looking at the costs,’’ said study author Patricia Greenfield, professor of psychology at the Children’s Digital Media Center, part of the University of California, Los Angeles.

「許多人看的是數位媒體在教育中的好處，審視必須為此付出何種代價的人不多，」研究報告作者洛杉磯加州大學兒童數位媒體中心心理學教授派翠希亞．葛林菲爾說。

’’Decreased sensitivity to emotional cues - losing the ability to understand the emotions of other people - is one of the costs.’’

「對情緒訊號的敏感度降低，即失去理解他人情緒的能力，就是其中的代價之一。」

Lead author Yalda Uhls said that emoticons are a poor substitute for face-to-face communication：’’We are social creatures. We need device-free time.’’

報告第一作者亞爾達．烏爾斯說，表情符號是面對面溝通的糟糕替代品，「我們是社交動物。我們需要有拋開電子器材的時間。」

新聞辭典

stunted：形容詞，生長或發展受阻的、遲鈍的。原形stunt，動詞，阻礙發育、生長。例句：A mysterious brain disease has stunted the girl’s growth.（一種不明腦部疾病阻礙了這名女孩的發育。）

engross：動詞，使全神貫注。例句：Benny is engrossed in his internet business.（班尼全心投入他的網路事業。）

cue：名詞，（開始表演或某事發生）的暗示、提示、訊號。例句：The bus bombing was the cue for a more wider terrorist attack.（這起巴士爆炸案表示一場更大規模的恐怖攻擊開始了。）