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Kids nowadays are being reprimanded more for texting at the dinner table, rather than for the portion of broccoli they didn’t finish. It’s no surprise that parents are more than frustrated at their teens, whom spend hours texting, socializing on Facebook (News - Alert) and Twitter, and playing games, all while juggling school, soccer practice and insane amounts of homework.

Back in the day, kids used to get scolded for watching too much TV or were allowed to watch their shows only after homework was completed. So, what’s really worse for teenagers’ brains? Endless amounts of MTV re-runs, or mindless texting, status updating, and the constant obsession with having to be connected to their peers?

Texting, Facebook and video games are not inherently bad for teens, according to Douglas Gentile, a child psychologist and associate professor at Iowa State University. Gentile, who focuses on the effects of media on children, said these activities are not any better or worse than watching TV, but they do pose the risk of cyberbulling. And, it’s no secret that issue has captured many news headlines recently.

Either way, kids are spending time in front of a screen – whether it’s a TV, computer or mobile device. Research reveals that the more time kids are in front of a screen, the worse their school performance.

Called the “displacement hypothesis,” time spent doing other mindless activities takes away time from doing productive activities – such as schoolwork. Though this doesn’t happen for all teens, “for every hour a kid is playing video games, it’s an hour that they’re not doing homework or reading or exploring or creating,” said Gentile.

This poses a problem for parents, as they are struggling to adjust to a world in which kids are incessantly checking their cell phones rather than paying attention to a conversation. Now, parents rely on watching TV as a family in order to create a “shared experience,” since texting or video-chatting is a “private experience” for teens.

A recent Associated Press (News - Alert) mtvU poll demonstrates this explosion in teen screen time. The poll found that one-third of college students use computers, cell phones or gaming consoles for six or more hours daily. And, a Kaiser Family Foundation study published early in 2010 revealed that total media use among 8 to 18 year olds, including TV, music, computers, video games, print and movies, has increased from six hours, 21 minutes daily in 2004, to seven hours, 38 minutes in 2009.

The Kaiser report also showed that the more time kids spend using media, the lower their grades and levels of personal happiness are.

Gentile warns parents of the problems associated with multi-tasking, or the usage of texting, instant messaging and Facebook while watching TV or playing video games.

"Multitasking is not really good for anyone," he said. "Your reflexes speed up, you're quicker to look over your shoulder and notice little noises or lights. This is not what they need when they get to the classroom and you're supposed to ignore the kid next to you. Scanning to see when the next message comes, this may not be good for kids. The more distractions you have, the worse your performance is."

So, what’s a fight worth having for parents and kids? According to Gentile, parents should make their kids turn off all phones, iPods, computers and other distracting devices to allow them to better concentrate on homework, reading and projects. And, let’s not forget at the dinner table.

Besides, you can’t eat your leftover broccoli with a cell phone.

Tammy Wolf is a TMCnet copy editor. Previously she was assistant to the editor at The Darien Times, a weekly newspaper in Darien, Conn., where she edited submissions, did page layout and design and helped manage the newspaper's website. To read more of her articles, please visit her columnist page.

Edited by Tammy Wolf