If you are like most parents, you worry about the effects of technology on your children. Are they using their phones excessively? Are they oversharing on social media? Do they understand face-to-face communication? In reality, research demonstrates how dependent on technology children are and how it affects them. For example, this generation's increased use of technology is boosting bullying, diminishing their capacity for empathy, and stifling their creativity. In fact, institutions and businesses indicate that young people who have grown up in this technologically advanced society have fewer emotional abilities than children from a decade earlier.
Researchers provide advice on how to take control of your digital use. These include establishing family limits, monitoring your cell usage, and identifying your top device-related stresses.
If you want to fully take charge of your technology use, you must ask yourself difficult questions. How frequently do you bring out your smartphone at dinner to check your email or send a text message? How much time do you waste uploading images and selfies to social media instead of attending the event? Or, how much time do you devote to chronicling your children's lives on social media instead of investing in your connection with them? Once you have taken a close look at your own conduct, you will see the areas in which you need to make adjustments.
Develop a plan for your usage of technology. For instance, you may designate specific areas of your home or hours of the day as unplugged zones. Unplugging at the dinner or breakfast table, or refraining from using your gadget in your children's bedrooms at night, are the obvious options. You may also designate particular areas as technology-free zones, such as the reading room or the family room.
Consider downloading an app such as "Moment" or "Quality Time" that monitors your smartphone usage. This information may be used to determine where and when you spend excessive amounts of time. Consequently, if you spend 90 percent of your time on social networking or reading business emails, you can seek strategies to lessen your reliance on technology. You might also install a filter or block on your device to avoid the temptation to use technology at particular times at home, such as when your children arrive home from school, when you return from work, or before sleep.
One of the most common complaints from parents is that their mobile device use causes them to be short with their children or snap at them. Consider when this will occur in your life. If reading work emails or working on a project for work causes you stress or if you require perfect silence, plan these activities for times when your children are engaged in sports or another activity. Thus, you will have the space and time necessary to do your chores without having to sacrifice time with your children or risk losing your temper when they stop you with a question.
Parent-child interaction has been altered by technological advancements. Parenting is not the same as it was a decade ago since children and adolescents are always connected to their mobile devices and parents must divide their attention between their children and their mobile devices. Some of these changes are positive, such as the ability to text your children when they are outside.
However, some of these changes have detrimental effects on how parents communicate with their children. Nonetheless, it's tolerable. Parents can simply make technology work for them rather than against them with minimal effort and a commitment to being totally present.
To learn about what is gentle parenting, read our article.
