How To Get Kids To Use Technology Responsibly?

When we were kids, we didn’t have the technology we have now. And its role was not as great as it is today. We always had a whim to go out to play. After school, we always asked our parents to let us out into the park with our friends to run around. Whirlpools, marbles or balls were enough to make us happy.

But today, this has changed. Nowadays, it is common to see children with their noses stuck on phone screens. Today, children watch TV after leaving school, and then they switch to play on their parents ’phones or tablets. What can we do to keep our children from being hooked on technology?

Dangers of gluing to screens

When we have trouble getting a child to do something (for example, eat),  we turn to the internet or television. We let the child look at the cartoons so that he is not disappointed. This keeps him quiet. One might ask that if we achieve our goal in this way, then  what is wrong with it? The problem is in excess and dependencies.

That is, in this case, the situation may escalate to the fact that the child begins to tease every time he has to eat,  unless we place a screen in front of him. He may refuse to eat if he is not allowed to look at the cartoons at the same time. What can we do now that the cure is worse than the disease itself? This is a hard nut to crack.

The truth is that inappropriate use of technology can result in children staring at screens for several hours a day. They begin to do less of other activities, such as playing with other children, talking to their family, resting, or studying. Thus, the quantity and quality of their relationship may decrease significantly. They may become completely isolated and lose all social support.

This will also happen with their grades. Lack of time devoted to homework directly affects grades. Finally, a child’s behavior may become disruptive and problematic. He may even develop behavioral disorders.

Parents are the key to change

The key to avoiding all problems is in the hands of parents. Parents can encourage responsible use of technology. When used properly, renewable technologies do not necessarily have to be a bad thing. In this way, we can encourage children to use them in a balanced, healthy way.

To get our children to use technology as a source of information, a learning tool, and entertainment, we need to know what they enjoy. Surfing the web and playing video games together helps us connect with them. This allows the parent and child to get to know each other and communicate better with each other. By doing this, we get to know firsthand what our children like and what they don’t like.

We can also recommend other activities they can do in their spare time. For example, we can suggest reading books that we know they like. This would be more effective than asking them to read in general. This is a great way to motivate them to find new ways to have fun. The same goes for exercising, or whatever their interests lead them to.

Rules regarding technology

We also need to control the time spent on technology. It would be recommended that television be limited to one hour per day. Video games should be limited to only 3 or 4 hours per week. It is up to parents to set limits on these activities, and to tell children when they can and when they are not allowed to use technology.

As for the locations of the TV, game consoles, and computers, it would be best if they were in a place that is accessible to everyone,  and not just in the nursery. Only in this way can we know which pages they are surfing and what they are watching on TV.

It is important to be sure that the content on the internet and television is appropriate for their age. In this way, we also prevent them from isolating themselves from the rest of the family, and make sure they get enough sleep.

Lastly, keep in mind that there are many different ways to maintain discipline. Positive reinforcements and punishments bring with them a wide variety of ways. In that sense, it would be better if we did not use technology for this. If we use, we give our technology an important role in children’s lives, increasing their anxiety when they can’t access the technology.