by Carl Bunton 3 years ago 
The phrase that goes something like “every day is a school day” has possibly never been truer than over these past two years. The Covid-19 pandemic has taught us more about how to exist as well as stay connected in a locked down world.
For parents, education for their children expanded into the realm of hybrid learning. Technology played a key role in that learning and with all the trials and tribulations that come with it. For many, many parents, one of the biggest everyday dilemmas we face is the relationship between children, screen time and cyber safety.
We know technology is here to stay. It is used in practically everything, from personal needs to businesses who will look into such areas as ‘IT Help for your business‘, for example, so they are able to get targeted and catered help with what they require. So, we have the power to shift how we conceptualise the relationship between children and technology as well as how we approach conversations around their screen time. It has never been timely or more necessary.
Over-Concern About Being “Over-Connected”?
The increase in children’s usage of technology has resulted in growing concern about how it affects children’s brains, bodies as well as their socio-emotional, cognitive and physical development.
A lot of groups who are concerned with children’s health, together with governments and medical societies, advocate for partially or fully limiting screen time for children. However, “restriction focused” guidelines are disparaged by experts in the field as not being dependent on robust research.
At the moment, scientific research:
- Is not sufficiently conclusive to support evidence-based guidelines on optimal amounts of screen usage or online activities; and
- Does not offer sufficient evidence of a causal relationship between screen-based activities and mental health problems, although some associations between screen-based activities and anxiety or depression have been found.
Aim For Balance
Technology may be empowering for children of all ages with tools which assist kids:
- Learn in entertaining and engaging ways;
- Express their creativity; and
- Stay connected with others.
In addition, kids who are tech-savvy will be better prepared for a workforce which will be predominantly digital.
Simultaneously, parents naturally worry about their kids accessing inappropriate content on the Internet, the impact of too much screen time on robust development and their children becoming joined at the hip with technology. Parents who love playing at Big Dollar online casino know that it’s not for kids, but the age limits make it safe for them to enjoy as their kids cannot access the fun.
As with most circumstances, a balanced approach to these new challenges works the very best. The most important step is to create a balanced or balanced relationship with tech. You can compare it to aiming for a healthy diet. Older kids understand the idea of balance intuitively. They know that it’s vitally important to eat healthy foods alongside sweets and dessert. However, you may need to keep an eye out for your toddlers as excessive sweets can harm their teeth. You can anyways visit a pediatric dentistry clinic for regular dental check-ups to get a detailed report of your kid’s oral health. This can be similar to how you can let the older kids take some of their own decisions but for the younger kids, you should be the one to decide what’s best for them.
So, start those conversations – not lectures – on things like sharing information online, stranger danger, and the permanence of social media. No matter how overwhelming it might seem, being prepared, present, and positive with your children is always a great place to start. There may be time for screens however not at the expense of time for physical activity as well as connecting with real people in real time.