Parenting in a digital age...Cool or Cold?

As a mom to an amazing, bubbly and often naughty 18 month old, I find myself torn between keeping up with TV shows like new episodes of Scandal or How To Get Away With Murder, the news feeds on Facebook, browsing through amazing posts on Instagram, surfing the internet for relevant information or putting all these aside to spend those cherished moments with my son. Just to enjoy hanging out with him or engaging him. Either by reading to him, kicking a ball around the house, running around with other kids at the Arcade, building Lego blocks or just playing good old peekaboo!
It is so tempting to just strap him into his high-chair and thrust him behind a screen playing nursery rhymes all day, part of the perks of the digital age I must say. And then convince myself that they learn a few gestures and words from the rhymes, which in turn aids early communication. But not only does my son and similar kids get bored after a few minutes, I could be limiting his developmental lessons to what Annie, Ben and Mango of 'Hooplakidz' act out.

Today, there are so many gadgets, apps and sites available to engage us (Parents and kids). I fear we are gradually losing the natural bond that comes from playing, communicating or trying to figure things out together. I saw an app that hopes to teach common sense to 5 to 8 year olds through games. Come on! What’s happening to good old parenting and teaching? We seem to be leaving everything to technology.
In as much as parenting has been sort of made cooler with the digital age, starting from the app controlled monitors that give us 24 hour access to our kids even when we are out of sight, apps that make homework and chores exciting, accessing required information at the click of a button, watching TV programs that are quite educative and informative, or operating iPad and tablets that let kids develop or build different skills; It has also eaten into the chances of truly enjoying each other’s presence. 
Let us begin with mobile phones and social media obsession. A teenager can hardly endure a meal with his/her parents without checking out what Kylie Jenner is putting on or what Justin Bieber is up to. Another digital wizard is Computer Games. They have seemingly provided escape routes into a virtual, stress-free world where young boys don’t have to bother about taking out the garbage or mowing the lawn? Then let’s proceed to the Dad who is either always on the computer attempting to work or on his phone browsing for seemingly important but non-urgent information. Or Mom who is either engrossed in her favorite TV shows or on her phone catching up on the latest entertainment news.
The days move by so quickly that before we know it, this 18 month old will be 18 years old and off to college! Many parents can attest to this fact. The brains/minds of these kids develop so quickly that soon enough they learn to make choices or decisions from their influences. Wrapped up in the digital space, we should expect that most of their influences will be from that source. And as parents we would have barely been involved in their character or skill development if we keep up with our technology obsession. 
Starting today, we should learn to embrace the pros of the digital age and use them to foster our relationships and boost our parenting skills while not neglecting the good old outdoor/indoor fun times.



Comments

  1. Unknown25 February 2017 at 16:31

    Very thought provoking. I struggle everyday to ration the electronic access. I can't tell if I'm succeeding as much as I should. I can only try to ensure that when I'm there with them, I am there. I'm beginning to try to switch off all electronics during dinner time. Let's talk. I am worried about an article I read that suggests that when we miss out on these sort of moments, the kids develop an inherent loneliness. This unfortunately can lead the kids down a path we don't intend for them.

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    Replies
    1. Funmile1 March 2017 at 14:16

      Well said. My thoughts and fears exactly. Unfortunately the influences from social media are becoming quite dark, selfish and uninspiring. A little bonding time at a time makes a lot of difference though. Keep it up!

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