To say that parents get protective is an understatement. They will always be on the lookout for anything that may harm or pose a risk to their children. Today, one thing that most parents are wary of is technology. Thanks to things like wearables, and portable devices, technology plays a more prominent role in our daily lives than ever before.
Children today are surrounded by technology, and will understandably, want to spend a lot of time using it. Between virtual reality, movies full of spectacle, cutting-edge video games, and more, there are plenty of reasons why children want to immerse themselves in the very latest technology.
There is an idea out there that technology is bad for children. Many parents believe that by letting their children use technology, they’re somehow bad parents. This simply isn’t the case.
Technology is a part of our lives now. It isn’t bad, it’s just more present than ever before. Any attempts to escape it will be akin to attempting time travel (it isn’t possible). Plus, doing so, means that you will have to forego technology too – something that likely isn’t an option. So, what can you do?
First, you need to accept that technology will be part of your child’s life and that’s ok. They will want to use phones, computers, tablets, and more – saying no to this entirely will be an impossible task. The trick is to foster a healthy relationship between your child and technology. This means they will enjoy technology in moderation, rather than using it for all their wants and needs.
Next, focus on exposing them to quality content like free kids cartoons or educational apps. Doing so will mean that when they use technology, they will get more out of the experience than just entertainment.
Finally, make sure that you lead by example. As a parent, you are your childs most influential role model. They will watch everything you do from how you walk to how you use technology. If they see their parents constantly absorbed in screens and glued to devices, can you really blame them if they want to do the same? You will set the tone for how they use technology, so if you don’t want them to be addicted to it, you need to show them what this looks like. Foster their interest in other things, like books, sports and other hobbies so they can spend their time on multiple interests.
Final Thoughts
In short, technology isn’t bad for your children. It’s how they use it that determines whether it’s good or bad. As a parent, you simply need to encourage healthy use of technology, you don’t need to hide them from it.
