Hisham Sarwar
Determining the effects of technology on children
In this digital world, it has become impossible to escape the constant connection with people by means of technology. We are actually living in a world where everyone is connected all the time. The multitasking through one gadget is making our children more absorbed into virtual world than the real world. This high level of exposure of electronic media to the infant minds is creating serious concerns among parents as well as researchers. Our future depends on this new generation but the extreme use of technology by children is making them socially stunted and ridden with health related problems.
It is time that beneath the madness of modernity, we must return to the basics of raising a moral child. We must determine the correct paths for our children ourselves and limit the open opportunities of technology for their own benefit.
Following are the few tried and true strategies that can actually help us to mold our children into morally upstanding and goals oriented individuals. These are the five Harvard psychologists’ proven strategies
1. Spend quality time with your child:
Today’s technology has made everyone lives busy and hectic than ever before. It is very difficult for us to put aside even 15 minutes of our daily life and spend time with our children. Quality time that parents give to their children is what helps them to develop strong personalities. Parent’s encouragement helps them to develop language as well as communication skills and also builds up their confidence.
2. A good idea: Praise your children
Parents must prioritize their responsibilities for their children and always look for things that may be disturbing to a child. They must make a friendly relationship with their child so that he/she can discuss problems without any hesitation.
Expensive gifts do not boost your child’s self-esteem and confidence but your praise and encouragement help them feel good about themselves. Your encouragement goes a long way towards helping your child to develop a good behavior.
3. Pull back as helicopter parents:
With some of the new researches, it has been proved that helicopter parents do not help children to develop decision making powers. Therefore they are urged to pull back and let their children see life through their own lenses. Allow them to experience all kinds of problems, assist them with the available choices, but let them take their own decisions. Let them be responsible, teach them to strive for success but never fear failure. Success do not help much when it comes to learning a lesson, its failure that teaches the true meaning of life.
4. Foster gratitude in children:
Although today’s children are blessed with opportunities that were not available in the past but they seem more ungrateful then before. Parents can engage their children in habits of expressing gratitude by setting examples themselves. Researches have shown that grateful children tend to be happier and optimistic than their ungrateful counterparts. They are more satisfied with their lives and can do better for their community. Teach them better words and skills while expressing gratitude. Your acts of reciprocity and small gifts are all ways of appreciation that can encourage a child to be compassionate and generous with others.
5. Encourage helping others and nurturing relationships:
Make your kids grateful by teaching them to lend a hand in helping others, it will help them to develop and nurture friendships as well as social relationships. Tell them through your actions that family and friends matter a lot and relationships must be a priority in one’s life. It will help children to strengthen relationships, be thoughtful, cooperative, helpful, and giving to others.
“Raising children uses every bit of your being- your heart, your time, your patience, your foresight, your intuition to protect them, and you have to use all of this while trying to figure out how to discipline them|. Nichole Ari parker
