Left to their own devices?
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ntil about 10 years ago, the advice we would give to parents wanting to protect their children was to put the family computer in the living room so that internet use could be easily monitored. Enter Steve Jobs and the rise of the smartphone, and this recommendation was rendered obsolete. Digital technology is now advancing at an incredible speed, and it will take some time for society to adjust. As parents, though, time is a luxury we simply don’t have. Our children need our help and guidance now, not in 5, 10 or 15 years’ time, when it will be too late.
Most parents today will probably be what experts call ‘digital visitors’…most young people are ‘digital residents’…And therein lies the challenge.
Katharine Hill, from Care for the Family, gives some much-needed advice on how to parent confidently in a world full of screens.
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Herald April 2019
The digital age brings many advantages and wonderful opportunities. Long journeys with bored children and endless games of I spy are now a thing of the past. Learning opportunities are so much greater – no longer limited to children with access to books in the home. We can connect with friends across the city and families around the world. And what parent hasn’t breathed a sigh of relief when putting a child in front of a screen during the ‘happy hour’ – 5pm to 6pm – when blood sugar is running low, sibling rivalry is at its peak, and the pasta is not yet on the table. But alongside the advantages, there are a number of challenges. The issue of screen time, for instance, causes many rows at home – you may be tearing your hair out right now with your three-yearold having an iPaddy when told to put the tablet away or a teenager who appears to be surgically attached to their mobile! Along with worries about screen time, many parents are rightly concerned about the more serious dangers of pornography, sexting, cyber-bullying, internet addiction and grooming, not to mention the relentless pressure on children of social media and the selfie culture.
