Technology: you cannot live without it and it’s a modern necessity.
This not-so-recent innovation has become such an integral part of our daily lives, that nearly every little thing you do involves the use of technology. The fan on your ceiling, the television on the wall, and the car outside on your driveway – are all amazing by-products of technology.
The fact that with every passing year, we are blessed with even better innovations to make our lives more convenient than before makes it even more appealing. But, if you ask any parent about their one biggest fear? It will probably be their children becoming tech addicts – so much so that they are ready to spend days in front of the screen without indulging in any physical activity.
If you are wondering how to ensure that your kids don’t stick to the television, read on.
Understanding the generation gap and the reason why this becomes a problems
The very first thing that you need to do is accept.
Accept that the way we spend our childhood is always going to be different from that of our children. After all, some of us might have lived through a time where people didn’t stare into a screen for hours at a stretch, in the name of entertainment. But, this isn’t the case for the kids.
Kids are familiar with televisions, cell phones, tablets, and so on being entertainment devices. Watching cartoons, making TikToks, or scrolling through the different social media platforms – these are the newest options that people today undertake in the name of passing their time. And, it is not that it isn’t fun. In fact, these are the perfect definition of pure entertainment that will make you forget to keep track of time!
Having been influenced by the dramatic and drastic technological advancements, children today even tend to live double lives. You see, a child who might be shy in real life may have a huge number of friends on their social media. This gives them the flexibility to make their virtual self look and sound better.
However, while all this may sound good, it can become a serious issue when they become addicted and are practically wedded to these devices.
Measures to take to avoid this tech addiction
Once you have understood the psychological working of today’s generation, you will be better equipped to prevent them from getting addicted. Thankfully, there are also measures – preventive and curative – for you to try.
Design interesting projects that you can do with you and your kid
It was found that when both parents work, their children ultimately resort to technology to kill the boredom. To curb this, you have to get a bit more creative to get the attention of your kids and make them put their phones away.
Even the simplest task of organizing kitchen cupboards, painting the walls, cleaning out the attic, or painting on an easel can be great. Just search the Internet for similar two-hour projects that you can ask your kid to do with you and make them fun.
Make them stay outdoors as much as you can
Outdoor activities are the perfect combination of fun and fitness. With the sun shining bright at them, your child will benefit so much more – both in terms of their physical health and mental development. Encourage them whenever they step out of your home or even your backyard and if possible, join them.
You can get them a bike, basketball, or suitable toys that they use to play outdoors. When we use the word ‘suitable’, we mean age-appropriate toys. For example, toys for a 4-year-old boy would always be different from toys for a 13-year-old boy.
Create strict maximum use deadlines on their social media
The good thing about being a parent is that you get to create rules to make sure your kid stays on the right path.
While the existence of social media applications such as Snapchat, Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter helps us to stay in touch with our friends and family all across the globe, there is still a limit to this goodness.
Set a limit of say two to three hours every day for your kid. This will help them avoid aimless browsing throughout the entire day. But, we would strongly urge you to talk to them before you make this rule. Just simply imposing these rules on them won’t get results. You have to make them understand how limiting their time on social media could be good for them as well.
Redesign the way your furniture is placed
A little bit of redesigning can be really helpful to control the number of hours your child spends in front of the television.
Generally, if you have a sofa or a bed in front of the television, this gives them the perfect setting to be comfortable while they stare at the screen. Instead, you can shift the focus from your television by removing these comfortable pieces of furniture. In addition to this, try to avoid installing a television in your kid’s room.
Develop a love of reading in your child
From the beginning, you should encourage your child to read. Get them to read books from your nearest library or simply buy them from the store instead of getting them a Kindle. The latter is an electronic tablet that will you access to innumerable books, but it will defeat the purpose of shifting the focus of your child away from the screen.
Find out the type of books that arouses the interest of your child and then proceed to buy ones from a similar genre. You can also take your children along with you when you go book shopping. Also, while encouraging them to read all types of books is great, don’t forget to ensure that the books remain kid-friendly and can keep them interested.
