The side effects of technology on our children
SINCE children are spending more time in front of the screens because of distance learning, it is now up to the parents to balance screen time or online time with family bonding activities and offline tasks, for the sake of everyone’s well-being.
A British teacher named Andria Zafirakou suggests looking at what materials you have at home and to create lessons based on these. Drawing activities, making collages, spending time in the garden (drawing or writing or actually gardening), having conversations and laughing together are just some of the easy examples.
Experts said there is always something parents can do to mitigate the harm related to their kids having too much online time.
On the issue of cyber safety and the children’s increased exposure to risks—such as cyberbullying, fake news, gaming disorders, privacy issues, online sexual behavior, reputational risks, among others—stakeholders need to start looking into establishing regulatory measures to make sure our children are protected. Some experts are calling for a “global framework for the protection of children’s data” and are starting to ask questions like “how are children’s information being used?”
If parents can help it, they should delay, for as long as possible, giving their children mobile devices. Sure, they can use the laptop or the computer for their online classes, but use should be limited to that to avoid gaming addiction or exposure to restricted content.
If parents can help it, they should delay, for as long as possible, giving their children mobile devices. Sure, they can use the laptop or the computer for their online classes, but use should be limited to that to avoid gaming addiction or exposure to restricted content, for example. Parental control plays a big role on whether a child will experience the above mentioned cyber risks or not. Parents must remain vigilant now more than ever.
It wouldn’t be practical to tell children, don’t play online. But it is very important to teach them how to calculate screen time and to inform them about the side effects of too much screen time. Ideally, children should be able to self-manage their screen time. This is the work of DQ World, an online educational platform developed by DQ Institute founder Yuhyun Park.
DQ stands for “digital intelligence,” a term pioneered by Park, a trained statistician. The DQ Institute measures child online safety around the world through the Child Online Safety Index. DQ World offers modules on skills like critical thinking and screen time to cyberbullying and privacy. It would be worth your while to read more about the work that the DQ Institute is doing to make sure that we’re all being careful about rushing to implement a technology that is yet unproven.
Technology and online learning are not the culprit. It is the lack of knowledge, lack of discipline, and uncontrolled digital use that are harmful for children and their families. Parents must also realize that since they cannot be watching their kids 24/7, it is then very important to equip them with the ability to think independently to discern the risks and make the right decisions when they are online.