LIMITING TECH USE!

Written by Caroline Meyer

We know that as parents we have to provide guidance for our children. We put a lot of time, effort and love helping them navigate the everyday world we live in. We also have to offer guidance when it comes to their interactions with the virtual one. Children do need to be taught to navigate through the digital landscape. They will need to learn habits and skills that will help them in the future as they spend more and more time online. You have to know where to draw the line though. At different ages, children can be allowed different access to technology so that they develop in a healthy way and there is still plenty of time for all the other activities they need to reach their milestones. 

Technology can be empowering. There are games, apps and tools for children that can be engaging and help them develop their creativity. It can also help them stay connected socially. Children that learn about technology when they are younger will also be prepared for entering into a workforce that relies heavily on technology in the future.  There does however, need to be a balance. Too much time online is not always a good thing. Children can also view inappropriate content if they are not supervised and monitored. Screen time and content should be age appropriate and offer some benefits. 

Games and social media can also become addictive to impressionable young people. Older children can be taught that they need to have time for physical activity and face to face connection with people and not to spend all of their waking moments in front of a screen. For younger children, you have to set appropriate guidelines and monitor usage as they may not be able to find a balance themselves. All children are not the same and not all families are the same. Striking a balance can be quite difficult. You have to monitor the effects that technology is having on your family and cut back where it looks to be detrimental.  

Some of the signs that your children may not be using technology in a healthy way is if they become too dependent on it.  If they are unhappy or bored every time, they are not allowed access to their devices or if they have tantrums or screaming matches with you when you set limits or prevent access for a period of time, they may be using tech in an unhealthy way. If there is minimal personal interaction or their tech use is interfering with school or sleep or they completely lose interest in hobbies and sports in order to spend more time online, they may require intervention. This is something that will need to be monitored often as the children grow and as technology changes. 

Some of the things you need to look out for and be aware of when they are using devices to access the internet is that they may be looking at content that is not appropriate based on their age. They may also spend a lot of time on empty content such as videos instead of interactive content that can help with their creativity and learning. Check your privacy settings, especially on social media to avoid having strangers contact younger children online. Discuss privacy and password protection as well as not disclosing any information to people they do not know. Make sure they know to inform you if they are receiving messages or content that make them feel uncomfortable in any way. Set screen time limits based on age and ensure these are followed. Schedule time for family and activities away from screens. Set limits and enforce them. 

As a parent, it is always good to set the standard and be a role model to our children. If you are permanently online or on the phone or playing games on your PC, your children are likely to notice and probably emulate what you do. They may also find themselves competing for your attention against a device. Practise mindful technology use and your children will be encouraged to do the same. If you set a no screen time rule during meals and family time, you need to switch off your cell phone and step away from the PC yourself as well. These interactions with you offer far more than any game can when it comes to a variety of developmental aspects. You can choose the times to limit your own device use but try and avoid bringing digital distractions into family time. You don’t always need to bring the office home with you and it is often okay to switch off your phone sometimes. Checking your email can wait until you finish the game of “eye spy” with your 5-year-old. 

Avoid bad habits such as texting when walking or driving. Don’t share personal information on social media for everyone to peruse and comment on. Demonstrating safe behaviour helps your child learn what is and what isn’t okay. They learn far better from being shown what to do than simply being instructed in what they should do. If you switch off for family time, your child also learns that they are important. Discuss the family rules with them and set the limits with them. If they know why the limits are in place and can discuss the limits with you, they are more likely to follow the rules.  

Get involved. Play online games with your children or sit with them and watch as they play. Check the content they access and suggest content that could help them. Turn it into a bonding experience while vetting the content your child is interacting with.  If they know more than you, let them teach you. You will learn more and they get a confidence boost. It might not be a huge amount of fun for you if you have vastly different online experiences, but it is still quality time together. Remember, children are different, so what works for one child might not work for another. Work on figuring out what each child needs and tailor your approach based around age, personality and online time required.