If movies have taught us anything, it’s that children crave parental support.

Kids will appreciate a parent appearing at a show, game, or performance, even if they don’t share the child’s interests. By ignoring their successes and activities, parents hurt their children badly. It is thus reasonable to assume many would rather sit through their kid’s soccer practice, even if they loathe soccer, than disappoint the hopeful, wide-eyed youth.

However, our modern contraptions have allowed us to experience a unique contradiction — to be present and absent simultaneously. While this is often a potential problem that can seriously damage our ability to enjoy life, sometimes it is a humorous, welcome distraction.

In this lighthearted article, the AuCasinosList team of online gambling experts will explore what parents are really doing on their phones while pretending to cheer on their children’s soccer games. From online shopping, conversations with work colleagues, and online gambling via no wager casino Australia apps, parents truly have a lot to answer for.

Our Mobile Frenemies

Smartphones are convenient. They help us pay our bills and shop without leaving the house, navigate our cars so we don’t get lost, allow us to talk to our loved ones from opposite sides of the world, and provide instant access to information. We can use them as music players or lightweight replacements for heavy books.

They have replaced many devices we relied on before, and many people would feel like somebody had amputated their arms if they were suddenly deprived of their phones.

Despite multiple benefits, there’s no denying that phones sometimes occupy too much of our time and distance us from real-life experiences. Though, occasionally, that’s exactly what we need.

Parents Caught Off Guard

We are confident you’ll relate to the parent (and grandparent) archetypes described below and their favourite pastimes during their kids’ sports practice.

Keep in mind this is all in good fun, and don’t be offended even if some described scenarios hit too close to home.

The Cheerleaders

These parents are actually not avoiding the game but using their mobile phones to take as many photos of their kids as possible.

If the game goes well, it might be a sweet, if overly eager memory. However, if the kids embarrass themselves, chances are their parents will keep the photos and videos for decades to come and perhaps even show them to their child’s future romantic interests.

Chore-Obsessives

Although we are all busy, especially as working parents, some take their obligations way too seriously, almost as a status symbol. These people take what is supposed to be a relaxing child-parent bonding time and use it for online shopping or keeping up with other chores.

Chances are, they have ravaged multiple stores before the game’s midpoint and are on their way to finishing next year’s house renovation plans by the game’s end.

Gossips

Writing messages and conversing with someone while in the company of another person — we’ve all done it, whether at a wedding, birthday, picnic, or our kid’s school game.

We pretend we know what is being talked about when our child enthusiastically highlights the best moments of the game on our way home, and silently hope our significant other has taken at least one photo to prove we were both paying attention and not discussing our neighbour’s recent divorce with the hairdresser while scheduling an appointment.

Social Media Addicts

These people just cannot spend a moment of their time without checking their social media feeds. And there are plenty of those to check. There’s Instagram, with their third cousin’s recent lunch decorations and long-lost primary school friend’s vacation photos. There’s also Facebook, with their aunt’s determined, if a bit long, post on self-love.

With 78% of Australians actively using social media, it’s not just kids who can’t stop staring at their phones. Parents who fit this archetype just scroll and scroll until the game is over and probably keep doing it on the way home (unless they’re driving).

Workaholics

You’ve surely experienced this — sitting and watching your child’s first soccer match, when suddenly, you are pushed by an unknown, belligerent-looking person demanding you to move. They are nervously shouting at their phone and obviously talking about work.

The working hours may be over, but workaholic parents would rather keep on working than keep up with their children’s sporting achievements. These parents tend to be real-life models of generic villains you’ve seen in 1990s kids’ movies.

Gamers

You’re trying to be supportive, but the mere thought of soccer makes you fall asleep. That’s just one of life’s harsh truths. Your kid’s interests may completely differ from yours. Still, that doesn’t excuse you from attending their soccer game. No child would ever forgive that.

So, even if you would rather pull out your nails one by one, there you are, on the bench, surrounded by sports fans with paraphernalia, including the hyper-enthusiastic dad screaming his lungs out. Luckily, you don’t need to choose between hurting your child’s feelings and dying of boredom.

Smartphones provide many gaming opportunities, be it Candy Crush Saga or an online casino app. If you like betting, perhaps you could even benefit from learning something about the sport, if for no other reason than to make better wagers and collect winnings you’ll later use to bribe your child to alleviate your guilt.

“Many online gambling platforms for Australian players have high-quality mobile casino apps that provide a seamless and smooth gaming experience, just like the desktop equivalent, making them perfect for parents on the go”, says gambling expert Lola Henderson, author at AuCasinosList.

The Grandparents

Yes, many grandparents nowadays know how to use smartphones and can be just as obsessive about them while supporting their grandkids’ modest sports ambitions.

However, older generations still know how to be present in the moment, switch off their online personas, and simply enjoy the experience — something we can and should learn from them.

Conclusion

Even though we love moralising about other people’s smartphone habits, we have all found ourselves in at least one of the situations described above. It’s no big deal; we are all flawed human beings.

As long as you use these smartphone escapades to ease extreme boredom or fix an unexpected problem rather than distract yourself completely from the experience, it’s fine. Just remember to keep your mobile time well-balanced and not let all the meaningful moments in life fly by as you’re scrolling.