Parenting in New Age Digital World

Key takeaways

We are living in an age where technology and gadgets are constantly screaming for our attention and disconnecting people, especially the younger generation from the real world.
It is especially seen in infants that parents resort to smartphones and videos when they are throwing tantrums or crying incessantly.
The parents who can manage and train them well about teach usage at early stages are definitely going to raise healthy, teach-savvy and highly intelligent beings without much effort.

We are living in an age where technology and gadgets are constantly screaming for our attention and disconnecting people, especially the younger generation from the real world. The new dawn of challenges requires new and smarter parenting approach that involves giving the right dose of technology to kids and ensuring that they are protected from the negative side of the coin.

Parenting in Today’s World #

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The 21st century dawned upon the parents and children with immense technology and resources providing comfort and tools that were not even heard of by the previous generations. Today’s parents believe in smart parenting and getting things done at a faster pace. This involves getting a hold of their career, managing their hobbies and indulging in recreational activities all while they parent a toddler.

This mufti-tasking approach is followed by parents giving kids the freedom to use and get engaged by their devices as parents get busy in their own routines. The result is toddlers treating YouTube as their best friends and teens finding solace in virtual world talking to their online connects rather than discussing their problems with their own parents. So yes, there is no denying the fact that it’s a tough time for parents as the comforts of technology come easy but at a price.

Pandemic-led Digitization: A Panacea or Bane For Children? #

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The cherry on the top was pandemic that caused a havoc in people’s lives and turned their lives upside down. Be it adults, teens or toddlers, the pandemic led to increased screen time in our lives and caused even the most productive people to use more technology and gadgets than ever.

While the screens allowed adults to synchronize work schedules and get the businesses running even in the state of complete shutdown and enabled kids to continue their learning process, it also fuelled technology addiction amongst the masses. The same parents who took away mobile pones form their kids as they passed screen limit had no other option but to make their kids sit in front screens for hours at a stretch to resume their education. Even entertainment was limited to watching stuff online and Netflix, Youtube and other OTT platforms entered our lives swiftly during the pandemic.

The Challenges for Parents #

Overuse of Technology #

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Around 70% of parents believe that their kids use technology way above their screen limit. This has caused kids to disconnect from the reality, causing dormancy and inadequate emotional developments. This leads to less of movement and activity and practically no or very little interest in outdoor activities.

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The need to feel socially acceptable and be accepted by the virtual peer has caused high levels pf anxiety and stress in teens. Following trends, copying current styles and getting likes leads to development of poor social skills, FOMO (fear of missing out) and feelings of inadequacy and inferior complex amongst the younger folks.

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With kids spending way too much in virtual interactions, most of them have a problem when it comes to presenting themselves in the real world, stunting the development of their social skills and relationships with real people. Lack of eye-contact, inaccurate posture, nervousness in crowd and introverted mind are all signs of social disconnect that is prevalent among teens using too much social media.

Attention Span Issues #

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The attention span of an average human has shortened from 12 seconds to 8 seconds, thanks to the innumerable screens around us. Parents are being faced with kids having short attention spans and often complain of their child being hyperactive and emotionally drained with overuse of gadgets. The need to be always –on, attentive and switch constantly between various platforms and devices has deteriorating mental and physical effects.

Physical and Mental Well-being #

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Constant sitting in front of the screen results in several physical downsides like development of bad posture, back problems and issues like carpel tunnel syndrome due to excessive movement of thumb, text neck and tendonitis.

The effects are more prominent mentally as kids are now more depressed, having anxiety disorders at early stages of life, experience delayed language and communication skills development and may even suffer from attention-deficit hyperactive disorder for life. The constant brain usage while dealing with pressures of internet cause a striking low creativity and higher-thinking amongst kids.

Safety and Security of Kids #

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A prominent challenge faced by today’s parents is ensuring the safety and security of younger folks on internet. With crimes like Cyberbullying and virtual scams, children’s personal information and images are bound to be highly susceptible to exposure and inappropriate usage. Lack of supervision can land them in serious internet troubles and cause stress, financial problems and depression at a ripe age.

How Can Parents Help Children Avoid the Negative Effects of The Digital World? #

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Create No Mobile Zones #

The most effective way to diminish the negative effects of digitalized world is by limiting the usage of devices and taking measures to engage the kids more in real world.

Have specific times of the day when the family sits and talks in general about the daily routines and activities. Parents can always encourage outdoor activities and fun indoor games for engaging with their kids.
Have no mobile zones or times in the family as a habitual practice, especially while eating food. Inculcate conscious eating in kids, be it the toddler or the teen, to save them from the negative physical effects of technology.
Have the kids barred from using screen at least one hour before bedtime as this interferes with their sleep cycle and circadian rhythm, causing sleeplessness and other psychological issues.

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Pay Attention to Their Emotional Needs #

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Parents are often so engrossed in their own chores that it has become difficult for them to cater to the emotional needs of their kids. It is necessary to understand as a parent that every child grows uniquely and is at a different emotional stage. Be it your toddler or the troubling teen, parents need to emotionally connect with gen-Z and understand their emotions.

As a parent, check if the kids are spending too much time online just for the sake of getting likes and subscribers.
Teach the kids the value of expressing emotions more in reality rather than putting up emojis and mood status on social media.
Stop using gadgets as emotional pacifiers. It is especially seen in infants that parents resort to smartphones and videos when they are throwing tantrums or crying incessantly. This eventually impacts their mental and emotional well-being in the long run.
Enlighten the kids about internet safety and security and teach them ways to handle virtual stress and social media pressures.

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Enjoy Technology as a Family #

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We live in a world surrounded by teach and it can be hard to avoid it every single day. The best way to negate the harmful effects of gadgets is by actively participating in using with the kids.

Watch videos and content together with your kids rather than giving them free reign over the internet. Especially for kids below 5 years, parents can always sit with them and talk and engage while they watch videos and films as entertainment.
Plan movie nights with kids and enjoy the teach as a family by having an hour of your favorite shows play on big screens, wherein the kids and parents can relax and engage collectively. Stress more on quality of the content rather than the quantity.
Co-watch their favorite shows and movies or educational content and remember to keep talking in between (especially the toddlers) in order to stimulate the learning process and enhance development

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Practice As You Preach #

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As the old saying goes “Practice before you preach”, it is necessary that the parents are themselves considerate of their own technological usage. It is true that our workplaces cannot function without gadgets and screens but as soon as you enter your abode, give your screens a rest.

Have controls on your own schedule and screen routines and be a role model to your kids by being physically and mentally present with your kids.
Avoid using mobile phones or screens as respites when you need to take a break. This shows your kids that there are other ways to feel re-energized and replenished after a hectic day.
Follow 20-20-20 rule while watching screens. This means taking a 20 second break every 20 minutes to look at something 20 feet apart from you to re-fuel your brain and eyes.

Avail Internet Safety Tools #

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Parents need to effectively take care of the things that are being displayed in front of the kids’ screens to ensure that the child is not being exposed to the threatening aspects of the internet.

Keep tabs on the children’s search history, browsing websites and the videos that pop up in their tabs or mobile phones.
Introduce parental controls in the devices used by the children, especially toddlers to make sure that no harmful content is being viewed or surfed, intentionally or unintentionally.
Read and connect with other parents to brush up your technological knowledge and understand the platforms that the kids are using so as to ensure restricted access of content.

Conclusion #

Technology is inevitable and it cannot be avoided because kids need to be teach savvy and be future ready. However, the key to raising a responsible generation is maintaining the right balance while using teach. The parents who can manage and train them well about teach usage at early stages are definitely going to raise healthy, teach-savvy and highly intelligent beings without much effort.

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