Children Education in the Age of Screens: Basic Principles of Parental Control
The world has changed radically. It has become much more technological and interconnected. Today you don’t have to run to the library to get any information.
You don’t need to ask your neighbors or acquaintances how this or that thing works, what to do in a similar situation and many more questions.
The kids are different, too. Today’s children know much more than we did at their age. The digital divide is no longer scary because they have been growing up with screens in their hands since childhood.
But how does it affect development and health in general? Will there be any consequences?
The Challenge of Educating in a Digital Era
The digital world is already all around us, and it will stay with us. A new era has begun. We have a difficult task before us: to work out the principles of educating children in the age of the Internet.
We need to think it over and formulate a set of clear rules that will help in the education of children, as well as ensure their safety and health.
Parental Control Apps
The most important thing is to familiarize yourself with the parental control application. Parental control Kroha helps you track and find out exactly how much time your child spends on gadgets.
But before we do that, we have to figure it out for ourselves before we can teach our children.
If we are well prepared and absorbed in technological advances, we can talk rationally about all this with our children. We will earn their authority in this area.
Lead by Example
If the gadget is a kid’s place, don’t try to find a replacement for it. On the contrary, don’t forbid it, but show that there is a kids mode—a special setting just for them!
Children are very sensitive to hypocrisy. If we do in front of them what we forbid them to do, their trust in us disappears, taking with it respect for the rules.
Importance of Communication with Children
Children need communication. If you want to understand if kids are having trouble at school, what apps they use, or what sites they visit, the surest way to find answers is to just talk about it.
Technology is telling us more and more about our lives today, but that just makes the need for live communication even more important.
A trusted conversation is more useful than checking your browser history or monitoring app.
Children are unlikely to ever admit it, but they love rules. Even if they rebel against them, the rules make their world more orderly and safe. It’s like a game—even limited screen time can become something fun if you play it right!
Setting Healthy Boundaries for Screen Time
Tell the children that the rules will change as they get older, to keep the dialogue going.
A great way out is to set reasonable boundaries. Such decisions can be as different and subjective as bedtimes, meals, or political views.
You know for yourself what is best for your children in these matters and what is accepted in your family.
Preparing Children for a Tech-Filled Future
The key point to make clear is that smartphones and computers are easily overused, so you need to set time control beforehand.
Today, even books are easier to read online than to go to the store and buy them. Why go to the cinema when everything is on the net?
And games… even regular live games are no longer interesting because there is so much to see on the screen.
And then we are faced with the problem that children literally do not get off the screens. And how to protect children?
Sit your child down next to you and explain that the restrictions you set are to protect their health, poise, and good judgment. Then clearly outline a few rules.
- Acceptable and unacceptable limits screen time for gadget use.
- The maximum time at the screen per day (but do not forget that the Internet may be necessary for homework).
- Acceptable and unacceptable sites to visit (use child mode if necessary)
It’s likely that the children won’t be happy with the time control. Encourage them to spend their time in other ways.
We need to recognize that rules are necessary and that our children need to grow up with an understanding of healthy habits of behavior in the digital world.
Agreeing with your family not to use gadgets in certain places in the home or in certain situations (e.g., mealtimes, family gatherings, etc.) can help limit app time you spend behind a screen.
Start by turning off the TV and setting smartphones aside during meals or family gatherings.
This will help keep children and parents focused on eating or talking. These dinners can be a great tradition for your family!
After dinner, don’t run off to watch a movie or sit in a TikTok, but instead do some cleaning together or discuss schoolwork. Parents need to interact more with teachers.
And even if you are in an online classroom, you shouldn’t let things slide and stop to monitor kids.
Parents must support teachers in using these methods and apply them at home while supervising children properly.
Very soon our children will be young people who understand technology from childhood. This could be good for them.
However, if we don’t teach children how to use technology properly now, there could be more harm in the future.
