Glued to the screen
Just how bad is technology for your kids?
IN an average urban household, most kids are exposed to at least two to three gadgets. The technology revolution has sparked a new debate on how much exposure kids should be allowed, how technology interferes with their personal development and whether it has a negative impact on them.
Whatever your stand, there’s no denying that today’s parents find it easier to educate their children using tablet PCs and smartphones. For example, allowing children to do research using a tablet PC helps them complete their homework faster, and they learn more in the process.
“Using the Internet also makes it fun for our children. They tend to develop a creative side and thus become over-achievers,” enthuses electronics engineer Jackie Veleyuthan, 44, father of 16-year-old Joe.
Veleyuthan supports the use of computers and finds the Internet a good source of knowledge for his son. However, as a parent, he believes he should be responsible for what his son is exposed to.
He says that even things like gaming forums and chat clients can be beneficial for his son.
“When my son joins gaming forum groups or spends time on instant chat clients (on Facebook / Twitter), he tends to chat with other teens around the world. This, I believe, encourages cultural harmony and sparks a wide interest in different people and cultures.
“When he gets to know someone from a different region, it helps him pay more attention during Geography lessons since he has formed ‘connections’ with his Internet friends and wants to know more about their country.”
Homemaker Tisha Ng, 28, mother of two boys aged eight months and 3½ years, agrees that technology can be beneficial, but she would still rather raise her kids the old-fashioned way.
“While I know that the advancement in technology can have a positive impact on kids today, I still believe in educating my kids sans computers, laptops or phones.
“It is important that they are able to go outdoors to touch and feel a plant and see how it grows rather than learn about it from the
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