logo
#

Latest news with #FairleighDickinsonUniversity

Sherrill leading Ciattarelli by 8 points in New Jersey governor race: Survey
Sherrill leading Ciattarelli by 8 points in New Jersey governor race: Survey

Yahoo

time5 hours ago

  • Politics
  • Yahoo

Sherrill leading Ciattarelli by 8 points in New Jersey governor race: Survey

Rep. Mikie Sherrill (D-N.J.) leads Republican Jack Ciattarelli by 8 points in New Jersey's gubernatorial race in one of the first independent polls of the general election. The Fairleigh Dickinson University poll released on Tuesday showed Sherrill leading with 45 percent support to Ciattarelli's 37 percent, with 16 percent of survey respondents undecided. The race could be a key indicator of political parties' strength ahead of next year's midterms as Republicans seek to build on gains that the party made in the state in the November election and Democrats try to keep the Garden State blue. Pollsters found Democrats and Republicans overwhelmingly lining up behind their parties' nominees, with 87 percent of Democrats saying they'll support Sherrill and 86 percent of Republicans planning to back Ciattarelli. But with voter registration in the state clearly favoring Democrats, Ciattarelli will likely need to pull some independent and Democratic support to notch an upset win. 'Unless something goes horribly awry, partisans are going to vote for their party's candidate,' said Dan Cassino, the executive director of the FDU Poll, in a release. 'While Republicans have been narrowing the gap, there are still more Democrats than Republicans in the state, and Ciattarelli needs to start pulling in more independents and Democrats if he wants to win.' The poll showed Sherrill leading Ciattarelli among independents by 7 points, with 30 percent support to his 23 percent, but with a plurality of 41 percent of respondents undecided. The survey also showed whether the race hinges on local or national issues could be critical to determining the winner. Respondents in the poll were first asked about their preference in the governor's race and then about a series of local or national issues. Democrats' and Republicans' support for each candidate stayed mostly the same after, but independents' support for the GOP candidate rose by 7 points among those asked about local issues and dropped by 4 points among those asked about national issues. 'Ciattarelli is walking a fine line with Trump: He needs to consolidate Trump supporters, but do so without making the race too national, or turning off voters who don't like what's happening in Washington,' Cassino said. 'For Sherrill, on the other hand, there's no downside to bashing Trump as much as she likes.' The results come after another independent general election poll from the Rutgers University Eagleton Center for Public Interest Polling last month that found Sherrill ahead by a much larger margin of 20 points. But Ciattarelli's top strategist slammed the result as an outlier and pointed to recent polling misses in New Jersey that underestimated Republicans. This included the 2021 gubernatorial race, in which Ciattarelli was the Republican nominee for the first time and only lost to Gov. Phil Murphy (D) by 3 points, much closer than polls indicated. President Trump also outperformed expectations in the November election, only losing the state by about 6 points. The Fairleigh Dickinson poll was conducted July 17-23 among 806 registered voters. The standard sampling error was 3.4 percentage points. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Sherrill leading Ciattarelli by 8 points in New Jersey governor race: Survey
Sherrill leading Ciattarelli by 8 points in New Jersey governor race: Survey

The Hill

time9 hours ago

  • Politics
  • The Hill

Sherrill leading Ciattarelli by 8 points in New Jersey governor race: Survey

Rep. Mikie Sherrill (D-N.J.) leads Republican Jack Ciattarelli by 8 points in New Jersey's gubernatorial race in one of the first independent polls of the general election. The Fairleigh Dickinson University poll released on Tuesday showed Sherrill leading with 45 percent support to Ciattarelli's 37 percent, with 16 percent of survey respondents undecided. The race could be a key indicator of political parties' strength ahead of next year's midterms as Republicans seek to build on gains that the party made in the state in the November election and Democrats try to keep the Garden State blue. Pollsters found Democrats and Republicans overwhelmingly lining up behind their parties' nominees, with 87 percent of Democrats saying they'll support Sherrill and 86 percent of Republicans planning to back Ciattarelli. But with voter registration in the state clearly favoring Democrats, Ciattarelli will likely need to pull some independent and Democratic support to notch an upset win. 'Unless something goes horribly awry, partisans are going to vote for their party's candidate,' said Dan Cassino, the executive director of the FDU Poll, in a release. 'While Republicans have been narrowing the gap, there are still more Democrats than Republicans in the state, and Ciattarelli needs to start pulling in more independents and Democrats if he wants to win.' The poll showed Sherrill leading Ciattarelli among independents by 7 points, with 30 percent support to his 23 percent, but with a plurality of 41 percent of respondents undecided. The survey also showed whether the race hinges on local or national issues could be critical to determining the winner. Respondents in the poll were first asked about their preference in the governor's race and then asked about a series of local or national issues. Democrats' and Republicans' support for each candidate stayed mostly the same after, but independents' support for the GOP candidate rose by 7 points among those asked about local issues and dropped by 4 points among those asked about national issues. 'Ciattarelli is walking a fine line with Trump: he needs to consolidate Trump supporters, but do so without making the race too national, or turning off voters who don't like what's happening in Washington,' Cassino said. 'For Sherrill, on the other hand, there's no downside to bashing Trump as much as she likes.' The results come after another independent general election poll from the Rutgers University Eagleton Center for Public Interest Polling last month that found Sherrill ahead by a much larger margin of 20 points. But Ciattarelli's top strategist slammed the result as an outlier and pointed to recent polling misses in New Jersey that underestimated Republicans. This included the 2021 gubernatorial race, in which Ciattarelli was the Republican nominee for the first time and only lost to Gov. Phil Murphy (D) by 3 points, much closer than polls indicated. President Trump also outperformed expectations in the November election, only losing the state by about 6 points. The FDU poll was conducted from July 17-23 among 806 registered voters. The standard sampling error was 3.4 percentage points.

Sherrill leads Ciattarelli by ...
Sherrill leads Ciattarelli by ...

Politico

time16 hours ago

  • Politics
  • Politico

Sherrill leads Ciattarelli by ...

Good Tuesday morning! Sick of seeing only internal polls in the race for governor? Here's a public one. Democrat Mikie Sherrill leads Republican Jack Ciattarelli by eight points, 45 percent to 37 percent, according to a Fairleigh Dickinson University poll released this morning of 806 registered voters. That's a much smaller margin than a July 2 Rutgers-Eagleton poll that showed Sherrill with a 20-point lead, and whose sample drew harsh criticism from the Ciattarelli camp. One thing that sticks out about this new poll is how it bears out each campaign's strategy since last month's primary. Sherrill has sought to tie Ciattarelli to Trump, while Ciattarelli — after spending most of the primary successfully courting Trump's endorsement — has sought to focus entirely on state issues while avoiding disclaiming Trump. The poll asked voters their candidate preferences first, then broke them into two groups to ask a series of questions about either state or Trump-related issues before asking their candidate preferences again. In the group asked about local issues — including questions on energy policy, NJ Transit and seizing farmland by eminent domain — Ciattarelli's support among independents grew by 7 points. In the group asked about Trump-related issues — specifically on the budget bill and immigration (no Epstein, sorry!) — Sherrill's support among independents grew by 4 points. Among Democrats and Republicans, however, support barely changed. The poll, conducted between July 17 and 23, has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.4 percentage points. And before you ask: Yes, FDU, like most pollsters, significantly overestimated Gov. Phil Murphy's margin over Ciattarelli in the closing days of the 2021 gubernatorial race. FEEDBACK? Reach me at mfriedman@ SHOW ME THE WAY: Acting Gov. Tahesha Way is in Ewing at 11 a.m. for an 'Extreme Heat Preparedness Briefing' QUOTE OF THE DAY: 'I wonder if I'll ever be offered employment again after this. God I hope not.' — Satirical congressional candidate Nick Gebo, who's running a fake campaign (with a real FEC filing) against Rep. Josh Gottheimer to criticize Israel and American political support for it HAPPY BIRTHDAY — Michael Pagan, Martin Nock, Jeff Morris, Jo Ann Povia, Allison Derman, Bill Pascoe WHAT TRENTON MADE SELLITTING EXPECTATIONS — 'Why did Murphy's proposed parole reform stall?' by NJ Spotlight News' Colleen O'Dea: 'Six months ago, Gov. Phil Murphy called for a broad reform of parole to reduce the frequency of people who make small mistakes winding up back in prison in New Jersey. A month later, as part of his budget plan, he announced East Jersey State Prison would be closed and $30 million in savings would result from the reform. Neither of those things happened, at least not yet. Misconceptions about the impact of the proposal, pushback by parole officials and a lack of time to gather consensus have delayed the plan. Whether those issues can be ironed out before Murphy leaves office in mid-January is unclear … [W]hile summaries and bill drafts were shared among the governor's office, legislators and staff, a final, comprehensive parole reform bill, including changes in sanctions for technical violations, was never introduced. 'There was a lot of kind of back and forth between all of the parties, and I think a lot of information that was getting out there about what the bill did and what it didn't do, some of which was accurate, some of which was not, and it just seemed like everybody wanted to take a step back and make sure that we get it right,' said Jennifer Sellitti, the state public defender.' WHERE THERE'S SMOKE THERE'S MONEY — 'New NJ tax hikes kick in, expected to boost revenue by $600M,' by NJ Spotlight News' John Reitmeyer: 'Later this week, smokers in New Jersey will begin paying more in state taxes every time they purchase a pack of cigarettes or cartridges for vaping devices. That increase, due to take effect on Aug. 1, was one of several tax hikes approved by Gov. Phil Murphy and fellow Democrats who control the Legislature during a flurry of activity late last month. Among the other tax increases are higher rates on online gambling and online sports betting in New Jersey. These new rates went into effect earlier this month. A new set of graduated fees on high-dollar real-estate transactions are also now being charged throughout the state due to the fiscal-policy changes approved by Murphy and lawmakers at the end of June. In all, these tax hikes are expected to lift New Jersey's annual revenue collections to a record-high $57.309 billion, according to an updated budget sheet obtained by NJ Spotlight News under the state's public records law.' THE DEBATE OVER DEBATES — The Ciattarelli campaign wants more than just two televised gubernatorial debates and one lieutenant governor for the general election. 'We urge you — in the strongest possible terms — to approve and schedule more than the two gubernatorial debates and a single Lt. Governor's debate required by law. At a minimum, we are willing to double that number in both cases and begin as soon as possible to accommodate the more robust schedule,' Jack Ciattarelli and running mate James Gannon wrote Monday in a letter to ELEC, which requires gubernatorial candidates who receive public financing to participate in two debates. INSIDE THE ACTORS' UNION MEETING —The Actors' Equity Association at its meeting Monday in New York City voted to endorse Democrat Mikie Sherrill for governor of New Jersey. I note this mainly because it's the first time they've endorsed a candidate for New Jersey governor and the union's president is Brooke Shields. That is, if this is a real-life endorsement and not an act. 'We know she will bring that commitment to the highest office in the state of New Jersey, where so many of our members live and work,' Executive Director Al Vincent Jr., who is not Brooke Shields, said in a statement. The union claims a membership of 51,000, about one-third of whom live in New York metro area, which they were smart to call by its Census name that includes two New Jersey cities: the New York-Newark-Jersey City Metropolitan Statistical Area. One of the union's top issues is Trump administration cuts to arts funding. — Edelstein: 'Manhattan may get a casino? Hold my gabagool, says New Jersey' — 'Sherrill opposes Trump plan to use Fort Dix as ICE detention center' — 'What lieutenant governor picks say about NJ's gubernatorial candidates' — Opinion: 'Like D.C., New Jersey has its own unjust budget' TRUMP ERA RESPECT MY AUTHORITABBA — Alina Habba's authority as New Jersey's top prosecutor questioned in new legal filing, by POLITICO's Ry Rivard, Kyle Cheney and Josh Gerstein: The clash between the Trump administration and the courts over who is leading the U.S. Attorney's Office in New Jersey is already spilling into criminal cases. A defense attorney is trying to get charges against his client thrown out by arguing the Trump administration illegally maneuvered to keep Alina Habba as the state's top federal prosecutor, despite the expiration of her 120-day tenure. The defense filing, made on Sunday, comes after days of confusion over who is leading the office because of complex and contested rules over filling vacancies. In the motion, on behalf of a defendant in a drug and gun-related case, attorney Thomas Mirigliano said a workaround Trump officials found to keep Habba was 'irregular' and unconstitutional. In a nine-page filing, Mirigliano said his client is 'facing an imminent criminal trial proceeding under questionable legal authority' and asked for the charges to be thrown out or that Habba and her assistants be barred from exercising further prosecutorial powers in the case. The problems for the U.S. Attorney's Office could grow if other defense attorneys open a floodgate of similar motions. JUSTICE HABBLED — 'N.J. criminal cases screech to a halt as Habba's authority is challenged,' by The New York Times' Tracey Tully: 'Federal court proceedings throughout New Jersey were abruptly canceled on Monday because of uncertainty over whether Alina Habba had the authority to serve as acting U.S. attorney … Pretrial conferences and hearings set for defendants to enter pleas were called off, according to four lawyers who received word that their clients' scheduled court appearances had been canceled. A grand jury that was expected to meet to consider indicting defendants on new criminal charges was put on hold. And a drug trial that was set to start Aug. 4 in Camden, N.J., was moved to Pennsylvania after a lawyer representing one of the defendants filed a motion arguing that Ms. Habba's prosecutorial authority was unconstitutional. 'I've never seen anything like this,' said Maria Noto, a former president of the Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers of New Jersey. 'We're all incredulous.'' YOU MEAN TO TELL ME THAT JD VANCE PUT HIS PRINCIPLES IN WRITING AND THEN DIDN'T STICK TO THEM? — 'Trump's personal lawyer became acting U.S. Attorney through legal loophole Republicans once fought,' by NJ Advance Media's Ted Sherman: 'The law was clear, argued members of the U.S. Senate committee. The administration could not name someone to serve in an acting capacity after their nomination had failed. 'This prohibition, which survives a withdrawal of a nomination, makes good sense: otherwise the president could do an end run around the Senate's constitutional advice and consent authority,' they wrote. The letter had nothing to do with last week's move by the Trump administration to install Alina Habba, one of the president's personal attorneys, as U.S. Attorney for New Jersey. It was written two years ago by Senate Republicans objecting to an apparently similar end-run effort by the Biden administration to name Ann Carlson to serve as acting administrator of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Among those signing on to the letter were the then-senator and now Vice President JD Vance and Sen. Ted Cruz.' — 'Op-Ed: How NJ can mitigate 'brutal wave' of Medicaid and health care cuts' — 'John Hsu will challenge Frank Pallone once again in NJ-6 primary' — 'Border patrol agent charged with soliciting sex from officer posing as girl in NJ' LOCAL BERT HURT — 'What does NJ Supreme Court ruling mean for Paterson's ousted police chief?' by the Paterson Press' Joe Malinconico and Darren Tobia: 'For more than two years, Police Chief Engelbert Ribeiro has been collecting his $225,000 annual salary from the city of Paterson while reporting for work at a state law enforcement training job in Trenton. That's the arrangement state officials put in place in 2023 after Attorney General Matthew Platkin seized control of Paterson's police department, relieving Ribeiro of a leadership position he had held for just 24 days. The status of Ribeiro — described by his friends as a man banished in an unjust exile — doesn't seem to be changing after the New Jersey Supreme Court ruling on July 23 that allowed Platkin's takeover of the police department to continue. The lawsuit sought Ribeiro's return to Paterson. But the Supreme Court decision didn't say what should happen with the ousted chief. The AG's office said Ribeiro's assignment to the Police Training Commission has been extended through Nov. 15, with future personnel decisions made 'in accordance with the needs of the department.' 'Bert caught a bad break,' Paterson activist Ernest Rucker said of Ribeiro. 'I've got a lot of respect for Bert.'' NEWARK'S FIRST XXX PROJECT SINCE THE LITTLE THEATRE CLOSED — 'Big-time CitiSquare project in Newark stalled three years after approval. What's next?' by NJ Advance Media's Steve Strunsky: 'Three years ago, on the recommendation of Mayor Ras J. Baraka's administration, the Newark City Council approved a tax abatement plus $18 million in other financial help for a massive $2 billion project known as CitiSquare. The completed project would include 11 apartment towers with 4,200 market-rate and affordable units, which in renderings looked like a modern city unto itself overlooking the Passaic River … Since the council approved the tax breaks in July 2022 after the project had already received planning board approval, there are no visible signs of work on the site, where the first of nine phases was to include a pair of 18-story towers with a total of 598 apartments. CitiSquare remains among the portfolio of projects listed on Accurate's web site, complete with glossy renderings. But rather than being identified as completed or upcoming, as other Accurate projects are, the status of CitiSquare is indicated by a 'XXX,' without explanation.' ACHARCHY IN THE AC — 'Atlantic City Housing Authority to hold emergency meeting Tuesday to authorize response to HUD takeover,' by The Press of Atlantic City's John O'Connor: 'The city's housing authority will hold an emergency meeting Tuesday to formalize its response to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development after it said it would take over the local agency. The meeting is scheduled for 1 p.m. … HUD sent a letter to the Housing Authority last week declaring it in substantial default, U.S. Rep. Jeff Van Drew, R-2nd, said in a news release. 'Based on the gravity of ACHA's situation, I have determined that it is not appropriate to permit ACHA the opportunity to cure the substantial debt,' said Benjamin Hobbs, principal deputy assistant secretary for HUD. 'Further, I have also determined that the most appropriate substantial default remedy, in the context of the several factual findings made, is for HUD to take possession of the ACHA.'' — 'Longtime manufacturing plant in Sayreville shuttering, 50 jobs slashed' — 'Appellate court orders recount in Roselle council primary' — 'Wildwood Crest pays $2K to attorney in OPRA settlement' — ''Wawa wants to take my property!' Meet the man fighting to stop it' — 'Jersey City BOE race has familiar JCEA ticket, ex-trustee seeking comeback' — 'South Jersey slaughterhouse discharges bloody wastewater into creek, according to the EPA' — 'A year later, a Fort Lee woman killed by police is remembered as a musician 'full of life'' EVERYTHING ELSE ZINNK OR ZWIM — 'Rutgers to hire SEC 'rising star' with ties to new president as athletic director,' by NJ Advance Media's Brian Fonseca and Steve Politi: 'Rutgers is expected to hire LSU executive deputy athletic director and chief operating officer Keli Zinn for its long-vacant athletic director position, multiple people with knowledge of the situation told NJ Advance Media. The long-time college sports official met with Amy Towers, the chair of the Rutgers Board of Governors who is leading the search, in New Brunswick this weekend. The move is expected to be approved by the full Board of Governors at a meeting on Wednesday. The hire puts an end to a months-long saga that began last August with Patrick Hobbs' abrupt resignation, featured two interim ADs and recently included dumping a search firm three months after it was retained to officially launch the process. Unlike previous top candidates Brian Lafemina — a longtime sports executive and alum who turned down the job a month after interviewing for it — and veteran sports marketing administrator Mike Palisi, Zinn has a longstanding relationship with a crucial figure in the process: new Rutgers president William Tate, who hired her at LSU and served as her boss for the past three years.' — 'How Greg Schiano built Rutgers football's infrastructure to adapt to changing landscape' — 'New Rutgers AD Keli Zinn brings an impeccable reputation to an impossible job | Politi' THE PERSON WHO OPENED THE CHECK SAID 'HOLY' SOMETHING — 'Holy Name Medical Center gets $75M donation, one of the biggest ever to a NJ hospital,' by The Record's Scott Fallon: 'Holy Name Medical Center in Teaneck has received a $75 million donation in what it believes to be the second largest gift from a single benefactor to a New Jersey hospital and the largest ever to a Catholic hospital in the U.S., executives announced on July 28. The donation comes as Holy Name embarks on major expansion plans … The gift comes from The Douglas M. Noble Family Foundation of Paramus, whose namesake was a longtime North Jersey neuroradiologist who owned and was medical director of The Imaging Center at Morristown. Noble died in 2019 at age 58 after a battle with cancer.'

New Jersey Governor Doesn't Rule Out Redistricting That Could Target GOP
New Jersey Governor Doesn't Rule Out Redistricting That Could Target GOP

Newsweek

time22-07-2025

  • Politics
  • Newsweek

New Jersey Governor Doesn't Rule Out Redistricting That Could Target GOP

Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy said this week he is not ruling out the possibility of redrawing the state's Congressional districts to counter Texas Republicans' redraw efforts. However, any attempt at changing the Garden State's Congressional boundaries will face a major legal roadblock, Dan Cassino, professor of government and politics at Fairleigh Dickinson University, told Newsweek. "The New Jersey Constitution explicitly forbids a mid-decade redistricting, unless the state's districts are struck down by a court, so the odds of New Jersey redistricting are slim to none," Cassino said. Newsweek reached out to the New Jersey Democratic and Republican parties, as well as Murphy's office, for comment. Why It Matters Democrats and Republicans are facing a growing "arms race" over Congressional redistricting ahead of the 2026 midterm elections after Texas Republicans, with the support of President Donald Trump, entered a special session to address their redraw. Trump has said he'd like to see Republicans gain five new seats from the process. Democrats are now responding by warning they could redraw Congressional lines in blue-leaning states. California Governor Gavin Newsom has said the state could retaliate, and Murphy has not ruled it out, he told reporters this week. These redistricting battles could have key implications for the midterms, when Democrats are hoping to win back a House majority. What To Know Murphy said on Monday there are no current plans to alter New Jersey's district lines but that it is "too early" to make a definitive statement on the matter, reported The New Jersey Globe. He also said it could be a conversation for Democratic governors in upcoming meetings. "I suspect as the Democratic governors get together for a drink or a coffee, this will be high on the agenda," he said. New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy speaks in Asbury Park, New Jersey on November 3, 2021. New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy speaks in Asbury Park, New Jersey on November 3, 2021. EduardoHowever, Democrats would have needed to have already started the process of changing the law if they wanted to redraw their boundaries by next November, Cassino said. "Of course, this is Jersey, so the fact that something wouldn't be strictly legal hasn't always stopped folks from trying things in the past, but this would also require gutting the bi-partisan committee that redraws the districts, so it's not something that could be forced through easily or without a great deal of controversy," he said. It could also be risky to Democratic incumbents, he said. "Moreover, while you could draw one more Dem-leaning district in the state, you could only do so by making some existing districts a lot more competitive: the exact opposite of what Democrats proposed in 2020, when they shored up Dem districts, at a cost of making one district more friendly to Republicans. That would be dangerous, if not in 2028, then in later elections, where it would leave Democrats vulnerable to a wave election," he said. Currently, Democrats hold nine of the state's 12 Congressional districts and are targeting New Jersey's Seventh Congressional District, a battleground held by Republican Representative Tom Kean. Additionally, Democratic Representative Nellie Pou represents a Trump-won district based around Paterson, which was once a Democratic stronghold but shifted to the right last November. Democratic Representatives Herb Conaway, Josh Gottheimer, Frank Pallone and Mikie Sherrill all represent seats that former Vice President Kamala Harris won by a single-digit margin last November. Redistricting 'Arms Race' Ahead of Midterms Texas Governor Greg Abbott called for a special session that began on Monday to address several topics of concern, including redistricting. Republicans are hoping to thwart losses in the midterms. Historically, the party in the White House loses seats during the midterms. In 2018, Democrats gained 41 seats to reclaim control of the House. Newsom responded to the news about Texas' redistricting in an X post earlier this month, writing, "Two can play this game." However, California has an independent redistricting committee, passed by the state's voters in 2010, so it's not clear if the state could legally do so. Many Democratic-leaning states similarly have independent commissions, limiting the party's ability to respond to the move from Texas. There are other potential redraws in Ohio, where Republicans are hoping to make a few Democratic-held seats more conservative, and Utah, where Democrats are hoping to see a newly drawn Salt Lake City seat that would lean to the left. What People Are Saying Dan Cassino told Newsweek: "I don't think that there is going to be any serious attempt to redraw the districts before 2030, but I don't think any such attempt would make much of a difference in the gubernatorial election. These sort of process issues rarely resonate with New Jersey voters, and anyone who is paying attention right now is paying a lot more attention to the news out of Washington" Lakshya Jain of Split Ticket wrote on X on Sunday: "This is some of the most speculative cope I've seen. Democrats don't have a House majority in Minnesota right now and would likely require amendments in California, New York, New Jersey, and Washington." What Happens Next With the Texas special session underway, blue states will continue exploring ways to counter the redraw effort. Any attempt to alter New Jersey's map faces significant legal barriers, however.

Parents' social media use could affect their kids even after they log off, new research warns
Parents' social media use could affect their kids even after they log off, new research warns

Yahoo

time13-07-2025

  • Health
  • Yahoo

Parents' social media use could affect their kids even after they log off, new research warns

EDITOR'S NOTE: Kara Alaimo is an associate professor of communication at Fairleigh Dickinson University. Her book 'Over the Influence: Why Social Media Is Toxic for Women and Girls — And How We Can Take It Back' was published in 2024 by Alcove Press. Follow her on Instagram, Facebook and Bluesky. Many people try to limit the time they spend on social media when they're with their kids. But new research suggests social media use has a significant effect on interactions with children — even when adults aren't looking at their screens. Mothers who were in the habit of spending more time on social media talked much less to their kids when they played with them than did moms who spent less time on social networks, and that difference carried over when they weren't using their devices, according to a study to be presented Tuesday at the Digital Media and Developing Minds International Scientific Congress in Washington, DC. While past research has focused on how kids are affected when parents or guardians are on their screens, this study looked at the impact of cell phone use on parent-child interactions even when parents were offline, said Liz Robinson, a doctoral student at the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa and lead author of the study. Mothers who used social media extensively spoke 29% less to their kids while playing with them — without their phones — compared with the moms whose social media use was low. Moms in the low-use category used social media an average of 21 minutes per day, while moms in the high-use category used social media an average of 169 minutes per day. Other uses of screens, including checking email or the weather, weren't associated with talking less to kids, according to the study of 65 toddlers ages 2 through 5 years old and their mothers in Alabama. Although Robinson's research has not yet been peer-reviewed or published in a journal, it doesn't surprise me. In my own research, people often say they still think about what they see on social media long after they log off. Although the moms in this study were physically present with their kids, it's possible their minds were elsewhere. 'Often our minds wander to activities that are more pleasurable naturally, and we know social media is that experience for most people,' said Kris Perry, executive director of Children and Screens: Institute of Digital Media and Child Development, a nonprofit to help kids lead healthy digital lives and the organizer of the Congress. Perry, who was not involved in the research, pointed out that social networks show us tailored content that is intensely interesting to us, so 'it makes you want to experience it longer.' Whatever the reason, kids need their parents to be mentally present when they play. Thankfully, there are things we can do to make sure our social media use doesn't interfere with our parenting. One of the most important things parents can do is to talk to their children all the time. Learning language is 'a major feature of optimal child development' and it's 'dependent on children expressing and receiving language from birth through (age) 18,' Perry said. Greater exposure to language tends to improve kids' brain development, academic outcomes, communication skills and language, she said. The interactions parents and kids have when they play are also important to children's socioemotional development, Robinson said, to help them develop their executive functions and attention spans and learn how to regulate their emotions. Interacting with adults is also one of the ways children learn what to prioritize. 'Kids are acutely aware of where a parent is looking,' Robinson said, 'and they learn what's important. So, when our gaze is constantly going towards a device, towards a smartphone, well, we're communicating to our children what's important in that moment, too.' That's why parents should make a conscious effort to be mentally present when interacting with their kids. 'Our attention is one of the best things that we can give to our children,' Robinson said, noting that this conveys to them that we love them. Robinson recommended that parents set aside certain times of the day to give their kids undivided attention. That's advice I also give when I speak to parent groups and at schools about how to handle kids' social media use. Of course, finding this time isn't easy. 'None of us can give our kids undivided attention all the time, but it can be helpful to think on a smaller scale,' Robinson said. 'Though I have many things to tend to today, I can give my child undivided attention for the next 15 minutes. That focused time goes a long way from the child's perspective.' When we're with our kids, we can remind ourselves 'there is nowhere but here, and there is no time but now in your child's mind,' Robinson said. 'And so, you have many other thoughts and many other priorities that are floating around in your head. But we can compartmentalize those and be fully present with our child, who knows only this moment, and only our attention.' Parents should also pay attention to how their social media use is affecting them and their children, Perry said. 'Understand what the impact of using social media is on you personally, and make sure that you're mitigating what those impacts are when you go to interact with your child.' A simple way to do that? Limit the number of times you check it per week and how long you spend on it each time. 'Reduce the amount of time you're on social media to prevent the likelihood that you would even inadvertently speak less' to your child, Perry said. And, of course, using social media less could also free up more time for parents to spend playing with their kids. Robinson said the biggest limitation of the research is that it's correlational — the authors couldn't establish whether social media was making parents more passive or whether more passive parents were using social media more. In addition, the study couldn't account for factors such as parents' mental health, income and education. I'd also love to see this study replicated with fathers, who should also be taking responsibility for playing with their kids and using social media responsibly. Still, the study suggests using social media more could reduce our conversations with our children, and that got me thinking. Next time I play with my daughters, I'll be checking in with myself on whether I'm talking to them or my thoughts are elsewhere. I'll also be more conscious of how much the content I'm seeing on social media is continuing to play out in my head even after I'm done scrolling. I might even talk to my kids about the changes I make as a result. Get inspired by a weekly roundup on living well, made simple. Sign up for CNN's Life, But Better newsletter for information and tools designed to improve your well-being.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store