Summer vacation is a great time to build your child’s life skills, but many children spend it seated in front of screens instead of going outside. Technology has changed summer holidays entirely. Several decades ago, television was the only digital distraction, now children have countless gadgets.
Today’s generation of ‘screenagers’ are constantly checking their mobiles. They even sleep next to it! But, too much time online or in front of a screen is hurting their ability to learn real-life skills.
Smartphones and tablets are creating a whole new level of challenges for parents. It has become increasingly difficult to limit the amount of time children spend on devices. Also, what types of activities are they engaging in? And how do we get our children to maintain a healthy use of technology?
Think of digital media as food. Limit the intake of empty digital calories and do not consume too much over all. That is the advice of experts who study children’s use of technology. They say it is useful to think about going on a ‘digital diet’ that can strike the much-needed balance for social media consumption. Just like a real diet, control and portions are key.
Parents and children should work together to decide how much time to spend online every day. If we don’t want our children to be addicted to the digital world we must employ them elsewhere. Introduce them to hobbies like baking, painting, swimming, photography, board games and grocery shopping and so on. Start or find a group of other parents that have similar concerns.
- The reader is a former teacher based in Dubai.
