Technology is amazing. It gives us access to worlds of information and allows us to entertain ourselves for hours, but how good is it for our children? In a world that is becoming increasingly reliant on technology, how can you make sure that your children are using this tool without any side effects?
Like with anything else in this world, there are positives and negatives to technology. This means that when considering how your child uses it, there are some definite do’s and don’ts that you should be aware of.
Below we discuss these so that you can manage your child’s technological routine to help ensure they develop socially and cognitively.
Children & Technology - 5 Do’s
Technology has a lot of great things to offer children, especially when it comes to education. Here are some of the top tips to include in your child’s technological journey.
- Your child has interests, and encouraging them is important (within reason and according to your discretion, of course). So let your children use their computers for what they were intended for: information gathering
- Education can be enhanced with the use of computers. There are tons of educational games available, and you should let your child play (once again within reason and your discretion) for a responsible amount of time.
- Social interaction is essential as children begin to develop, and nowadays, that means social media. The good news is that a lot of social media has controls that can be set up by the parent (as does the computer) to ensure that talking with their pals is safe.
- Ensuring that your child is capable of using the computer at home and school to improve their education is vital. This helps create good computer skills they will need in the future and helps them have more access to a more rounded education and world view.
- Just like with education, having access to games that they can play with friends or family will help them build social skills and help with select skills ( this depends on the game).
Children & Technology - 5 Don’ts
Though technology is useful and has opened up so many doors for learning and entertainment, that doesn’t mean there isn’t a downside, especially when it comes to our children. Here are some of the don’ts of managing your children and their technology.
- The internet is fantastic, but it can be a dark and dangerous place as well. Make sure you have set up parental controls and that your child understands that they cannot freely browse the internet.
- Don’t let them play for hours and hours or into all hours of the night. This could lead to them not having a grasp on what is real and what is not. Plus, it will lead to less physical activity, which could lead to health problems in the future.
- It can promote bad habits if you allow your child to have a cellphone at too young of an age. This can lead to them staying up late and not getting enough sleep. Young children need to sleep for their bodies and brain to develop and function appropriately. If they have a cell phone, a good way to ensure this happens is to have them charge their phones downstairs or in another room.
- If possible, try to make sure that their computers are not in their room. They may end up distracted and not get done what they are supposed to. If they use a laptop just like the cell phone above, a good rule of thumb is to make them do their homework in a common area before they go to their room with the device.
- If your child is hyperactive or prone to outbursts, don’t use technology as a pacifier. This could leave them dependent on technology as the only way to manage their emotions or feelings.
Summary
Technology can be awesome and help give your child more knowledge and exposure to different cultures and views. However, there needs to be some guidelines to ensure that your child is developing important skills that they will need in their adult lives.
