Post millennial, Gen Z or iGen are some categories associated with kids aged between 6 and 23. Raising them as a parent is quite challenging as compared to millennials. If we analyze millennials, they have seen everything from doing manual jobs to automated ones. However, post-millennials are those who opened their eyes in the digital age.
The struggles of raising a millennial child versus Gen Z has taken a 360-degree turn. In fact, the child’s development and education in today’s digital age are quite challenging for parents. They have to look so many things that were not present at the time of millennial. For instance, Smartphone and tablets are prime examples.
A study found that the average age for a child to get the first Smartphone in the United States is 10.3 years old.
Challenges Faced by Gen Z
Though the digital revolution has played a vital role in easing our lives. However, there are also negative aspects of the digital revolution. For instance, Gen Z faces many challenges like dealing with depression, staying updated with digital trends, and keeping their self-esteem high.
According to the study, from 2012 to 2015, depression among boys and the girls rose 21% and 50% respectively.
In general observation, Gen Z is awake, never offline, and are aware of the surroundings. Moreover, technology has led to many social problems such as Gen Z are socially isolated in the real world (in the digital arena, they are incomparable).
Parenting is a challenge in the digital age, where kids have uninterrupted access to the internet. They can access any material online, post anything on the internet and have a conversation with whomever they want, regardless of whether he/she is a stranger, a friend or a family member.
In this article, we are going to discuss some of the tips that would help you do parenting in the digital age without putting yourself in trouble. Let’s dive in.
Social Media Usage Permission
Access to social media is within reach of everyone, from kids to adults. Adults are wise and mature; they know how to put social media in use. On the other hand, kids are unaware of the rules and ethics to use social media.
As a parent, it is not easy for you to stop your kids from using social media. They would do anything they wish and won’t ask you. If you want your kids to avoid social media at a very early age, you have to set the age in which they can judge right from wrong.
For instance, parents shouldn’t allow their children to use social media unless they reach the age of 10. If you allow them before the age of 10, they are likely to see harmful content or posting something irrelevant.
Don’t Handover Smartphone at an Early Age
Parents sometimes don’t even bother to analyze the consequences by handing the phone to their kids. As soon as they start school, they hand them an expensive or at least budget Smartphone, without setting the rules and restrictions.
It is therefore advised to handover Smartphone to your kids after giving clear instructions. Moreover, at a very early age, your kids do not need a Smartphone. A featured phone is enough for your kids to attend calls and send text messages in case of an emergency.
Turn off WIFI
Generally, WIFI is never turned off in homes due to excessive usage. However, if you have a kid, don’t turn on the WIFI unless needed. If your kids have the password of WIFI, just change it so that they can’t access the internet during your absence. Moreover, turn off the WIFI when the child is studying, having dinner or going for night sleep.
Connect without Smartphone
Parents always want to stay in contact with their kids when they are out of the home. Giving a Smartphone to keep in contact is not the only solution. You can find many watches online. These watches come with a speakerphone to receive and make calls to a limited number of contacts set by parents.
Moreover, there is also a built-in GPS tracker that allows parents to see the location of their children on their phones. You can ask your mobile carrier to give recommendations about a device that allows GPS tracking, receiving and making calls.
Install Parental Monitoring App
Technology has evolved rapidly and to every problem, there is a solution. You can now install a parental monitoring app on your child’s device in order to track their activities.
Parental monitoring app such as FamilyTime.
The app comes with a myriad of features including internet web filters, panic alerts, app blocking, app usage and limit screen time.
In order to monitor your child’s activities, limit screen time and blocking apps, FamilyTime is the perfect solution for parents. Take your parenting to the next level and protect your child from excessive screen time.
Take Digital Devices out of the Bedroom
The majority of kids like to spend time on social media all through the day. At night, they may like to watch videos, play games or chat with friends. However, spending excessive time at night may deprive them of taking enough sleep. This may lead to serious health issues as well as a decline in productivity. They may not be able to concentrate during school due to lack of sleep, the previous night.
In order to prevent your children from using a Smartphone or any other digital device at night, ask them to give back the devices. Moreover, you can also turn off the WIFI during the night in order to help your kids take enough sleep.
Smartphone Restrictions and Rules
No matter at what age you allow your child to use a Smartphone, make sure to write down rules and regulations that need to be followed. For instance, you can agree upon a time in which your child can’t use the phone, like dinner time, sleep time or study time. As mentioned earlier that you can also install a parental monitoring app to block app usage, limit screen time and set internet filters.
Involve in some Sports and Healthy Activities
It is good to play football daily, not on the screen but in a playground. Encourage your kids to go and play sports outdoor in order to develop strength and learn discipline. In the digital era, most of the kids are trapped in their screens and are not involved in day-to-day activities. Set the time and make sure that they follow strictly. It will not only develop their physical strength but mental strength as well.
Ask them to discuss Something They Learned Every day
If your kids are spending a lot of time in front of the screen, you may ask about what they have learned. Make this a daily routine so that children can learn something new while spending time on screen.
You can also contribute to the activity by telling something new to your kids. It can be a fun activity that will allow your kids to learn new things without even knowing. The best time to pursue this activity is at the dinner table where all the family members are available.
Support Paper Books Instead of EBooks
As a parent, you need to develop an interest in your kids to read books. Some of the kids would prefer reading on a tablet or Smartphone. However, constantly staring at the screen would affect eyes. Make sure to buy them paper books instead of EBooks so that they won’t face any eyesight problems.
Final Thoughts
In the digital age, parenting is not an easy task, especially when the kids outsmart parents. They are more intelligent and learn quickly as compared to their parents. If you have to raise your child in the digital age, make sure to implement these tricks so that your child can spend more time in the real world instead of a digital one.
These are great tips. Limiting the wi fi is super important!
ReplyDeleteThese are excellent tips! I shared on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest, because this information is very important for parents to know how to keep their children safe! There are lying pedophiles out there. That’s all they do is surf the web all day long. Now that they are learning online, we really have to watch them! I agree that there should be strict rules and download the Parent Monitoring app. We should keep the lines of communication open with our children. I also think we should monitor our children’s activities with their friends that have friends with electronic devices. Thank you for sharing!
ReplyDelete