Remember when your parents would tell you about how different things were when they were younger? Well, the world has changed in so many ways since they were young, especially when it comes to technology. Today our lives revolve around technology to the point where many of us have at least 2 screens on our person everywhere that we go.
This presents a new challenge for today’s parents – how do you manage your children and their use of technology? Depending on who you ask, you’ll get a different answer, so where do you begin? With this article of course! We’ve done the hard work for you, and gathered the best tips for parents and technology.
Content is king – choose wisely
Let’s cut to the chase, the conversation about kids and technology mainly revolves around screens. This means things like video games, TV, phones and anything else that has a screen. Screens on their own are pretty neutral. What shifts them on the scale, however, is the content that your children are consuming through them. Showing good content to your children will mean that you can make screens a positive factor in your children’s life. For example, there are some great free kids cartoons available that aren’t just fun, but educational too. Kids learn from the world around them without realising it, which is why showing them educational content is a great way to help with their development!
You need to lead by example
You are your child’s number one role model – even though they will never admit it. It’s important to remember this because they will copy all of your behaviour from the way you speak to how you use technology. If they see you constantly glued to a screen and spending all of your time scrolling, can you really be surprised if they want to do the same? Our phones, TVs, and computers are awesome – no one is disputing that. However, there are plenty of things that you and your kids should be doing too.
Frame technology in the right way
How you frame technology for your children is important. If you frame technology as a cure-all to boredom, anxiety, or just killing time, they will go to technology for everything. Instead, show them that technology is useful. When you need to find information, technology can help. When you want to contact someone, technology can help. This will help your children to see technology as a tool, rather than something that they should spend all of their time on.
Final Thoughts
You won’t get technology perfect – no parent does. However, by following the tips in this guide, you’ll be taking steps to foster a healthy relationship between your children and technology.
