As technology gets increasingly advanced and more essential to everyday life, new parents have one very important question: should they allow their toddlers to spend time on the internet?
Parents are worried about screen time, and for a good reason. The British Psychological Society warns, “Too much screen time for young children can unintentionally cause permanent damage to their still-developing brains. The ability to focus, concentrate, lend attention, sense other people’s attitudes and communicate with them, build a large vocabulary—all those abilities are harmed.”
While they acknowledge the downsides or tech for toddlers, experts also recognize its perks. Instead of not allowing it entirely and taking away learning opportunities for kids or letting them freely roam the internet, scientists suggest teaching kids to form a healthy relationship with technology. For this, scientists have devised two rules that will help you teach your kids how to deal with technology.
The first rule is to always find a balance. “The most important step is to establish a balanced or sustainable relationship with tech,” says the social psychologist Adam Alter, author of Irresistible: The Rise of Addictive Technology and the Business of Keeping Us Hooked. “There’s a time for screens, but not at the expense of time for physical activity and connecting with real people in real-time.” Parents need to teach their kids to always keep this in mind.
The next rule is to be a role model for kids. Technology is addictive for everyone, not just children, so parents need to watch out and ensure that they follow the rules they set for their children. Children tend to copy their parents’ behaviors and habits. But not only this, not following their own rules will be seen as unfair and hypocritical, an outlook that parents should not want for their children.
Parents are worried about screen time, and for a good reason. The British Psychological Society warns, “Too much screen time for young children can unintentionally cause permanent damage to their still-developing brains. The ability to focus, concentrate, lend attention, sense other people’s attitudes and communicate with them, build a large vocabulary—all those abilities are harmed.”
While they acknowledge the downsides or tech for toddlers, experts also recognize its perks. Instead of not allowing it entirely and taking away learning opportunities for kids or letting them freely roam the internet, scientists suggest teaching kids to form a healthy relationship with technology. For this, scientists have devised two rules that will help you teach your kids how to deal with technology.
The first rule is to always find a balance. “The most important step is to establish a balanced or sustainable relationship with tech,” says the social psychologist Adam Alter, author of Irresistible: The Rise of Addictive Technology and the Business of Keeping Us Hooked. “There’s a time for screens, but not at the expense of time for physical activity and connecting with real people in real-time.” Parents need to teach their kids to always keep this in mind.
The next rule is to be a role model for kids. Technology is addictive for everyone, not just children, so parents need to watch out and ensure that they follow the rules they set for their children. Children tend to copy their parents’ behaviors and habits. But not only this, not following their own rules will be seen as unfair and hypocritical, an outlook that parents should not want for their children.
