Parenting in the Digital Age: Raising Kids With Healthy Tech Habits

The digital age has opened a new area of conversation between parents and children. Parenting today can include discussing technology and its impacts with your kids. With your children, you can discuss your own thoughts about both benefits and worries. You can also express to them that you are interested in their thoughts. You can even create with your kids a set of technology practices. These practices can include setting technology aside sometimes. Additionally, you can pay attention to how you use technology. You can strive to demonstrate the practices that you advocate.

1. Having Family Practices and Schedules

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) provides guidance on navigating technology use as a family. The AAP recommends: “Build a family media plan that balances time with and without devices.”  Your children can help you create this plan. You can determine how technology can be beneficial in your home. You can establish technology schedules and rules that everyone can follow. You can also find fun activities to engage in that do not involve technology. As a family, you can create a beneficial combination of screen-involved and screen-free activities.

UNICEF states that you can divide guidelines about technology use into two categories. UNICEF advises: “Make ‘yes’ rules and ‘no’ rules.” You can have rules that focus on advisable activities. According to UNICEF, these rules can be about “things your child should do.” You can also have rules that address inadvisable online behavior. For instance, you can prohibit harmful online practices such as bullying.

2. Ensuring Consistent Communication

Making sure to communicate with children can be helpful as they encounter life online. UNICEF recommends: “Talk to your children about concerns you may have.” You can converse about potentially worrying online content. You can also talk about the potential detrimental impacts of too much screen use. For instance, UNICEF states, you could discuss “devices getting in the way of other activities.” You can also present yourself as a resource for resolving difficult problems. You can express a willingness to discuss openly the topics of technology and online presence.

3. Being a Positive Influence

Parenting can involve communication. It can also involve modeling positive practices. The AAP advises: “Set a good example.” You can be forthright about ways you use the internet and social media. In addition, you can pay attention to your device usage. You can demonstrate practices you would like your children to adopt. You can also try engaging and positive technological activities with your kids. UNICEF states: “That could be using an app or playing a game together.” You can even use the internet as a research tool with your kids. You can learn about topics you and your children find interesting.

4. Offering Helpful Options

You can provide opportunities to engage in healthy ways both online and offline. You can find beneficial technological resources and activities for children. The AAP recommends: “Choose quality content to use as a family.” Also, you can check in with your children about online content. You can talk with them about their navigation of the digital world.

You can ensure that children are still engaged with life outside of the internet. The AAP suggests: “Create screen-free times and places in your home.” You can, for instance, have meals be times when technological devices are set aside. During meals, family members can engage with one another. Bedtime can be another device-free time. This can be beneficial for sleep.

Digital Age Parenting Strategies

The digital age offers both opportunities and difficulties for children. Proactive parenting can help children find healthy ways to include technology in their lives. You can be open and communicative about issues surrounding technology use. You can also show by your own actions how technology can be used beneficially. Ensuring that there is dialogue on the topic of technology use is essential. Additionally, you can create with your children a set of family technology use guidelines. These guidelines can include scheduled times when technological devices are not used.