DO you think of technology as a threat to your child’s mental and physical health? Are you worried about how well you manage the digital devices for your kids? All of your fears are right but don’t turn these fears into reality. You can make a positive difference by educating your child about the fair use of technology.
Technology is (and will be) part of life
First, acknowledge this fact! It does not matter whether you like digital gadgets or not. Technology is part of our lives and it will be an essential part of the coming years. We cannot complete our daily chores without digital devices. So teach that fact to your child. It is your responsibility to teach your child about technology. Teach them how to use technology safely and efficiently. Make them learn all aspects of using any tech gadget; for example, they should be aware of the benefits of wearing safety goggles while using smartphones, laptops, or tablets. So show them that you are the way-maker for them, not a blocker.
Here, we will discuss some positive solutions through which parents can teach their kids a healthy and safe use of technology.
- Filter Appropriate and Inappropriate Websites/Apps
Not everything available on the web is made for the kids. It is you who should decide what your child should see. For this purpose, parents must have a sound understanding of age-based content. Before giving any gadget to children, make sure that they have access to appropriate websites and apps only. If parents cannot decide themselves about the content, they should seek the help of any good digital expert.
- Create Awareness; Don’t enforce
Being a parent, it’s obvious that you need to take care of your child in every aspect and that includes technology too. But this does not mean that you start pushing them to accept your directions. Never enforce any technology restriction on your child. Rather, create awareness about the harms and benefits of technology.
Show them how technology can enhance their learning at every stage of life. Also, show the negative side of technology. Give them real-life examples so they can be sure that it can happen to them if not used fairly. After this learning and awareness, your children will have this thought for a lifetime.
- Schedule Screen Time
Certainly, we cannot throw the tech devices from our daily routines. But we can schedule the use of these gadgets. Make a schedule for your children in a day. Give them their favorite gadgets in that schedule. Children must be aware that they have to use the smartphones and tabs in that allotted timeframe.
Also, don’t allow too much time in a day. You can make a schedule for every child according to their age. Screen time for 8 years old and 12 years’ teen shouldn’t be the same.
- Practice healthy use of technology
Having a gadget at home is not safe for your kids until you make the necessary arrangements for them. The excessive use of tech devices affects their health in many aspects. Digital eye strain, headache, shoulder, and neck pain are common outcomes of too much screen time. Even after scheduling the screen time, parents still take some other safety measures. Children must wear personal safety equipment to use digital devices.
Eyes are the immediate target of harmful radiation emitting from screens. So children must wear eyewear safety equipment. Parents can order glasses online or nearby optical store. Whatever model they choose to buy, make sure that it is appropriate for their kids.
Besides these safety glasses, practice some other preventive measures such as keeping a safe distance from the screen always. Children must also get rest after a few hours of use of technology.
- Teach them the internet is fun and learning platform
We all know that the internet is a mixture of every taste. It is up to us which kind of taste we want to have. So rather than fearing your child every time about the internet, make them enthusiastic and passionate about learning through the internet. Show them websites and other platforms on which they can learn. Find the interest of your child and then introduce them to relevant platforms. Like if your child shows interest in any creativity or art, introduce him/her to a creative platform. In this way, your child will make it a habit for a lifetime.
- Increase their physical activities
Technology is helpful for children and adults too, but it does not mean that we are solely dependent on it. Enhance the outdoor time for your kids. In this time, make them busy doing any physical activity so they can utilize their physical energy. Sitting on a chair or lying on the bed while using smartphones will make the lazy and inactive.
The list of positivity and negativity of technology goes on. It is up to parents how they present technology to their children.
Being a guardian of a young boy, I must say that is the need of the hour. We have to teach our children the positive sides of technology. In fact, technology is not bad; it depends on how we use it. So you have mentioned some of the essential practices for every child. Otherwise we should be ready to see our kids suffering because of technology (like digital eye strain).
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