Preschoolers and technology: how parents can watch and learn
Technology can erode traditional parental control, but its online games can also bring families together and screen time encourages personal interaction
As technology advances and proliferates, many parents might wonder how to raise a child in a world where entertainment, information and social interactions are available at the swipe of a little finger.
Henrik Hoeg, managing director of the Jadis Blurton Family Development Center, says technology has increased the frequency and ease for children and parents to communicate with each other and with the wider world.
“The impact of new technology, and communication and media devices in particular, is often seen as a double-edged sword,” he says. “In reality, it is neither good nor bad. Technology is a tool, and it’s utility and effect depends on how we choose to use it.”
For example, a device that enables parents to contact their children at any time and at any place could be useful in emergencies, but then it could just as quickly turn into a leash if it is overused,Hoeg says.
“Perhaps once this technology is less nascent, clearer parenting styles [that relate] to modern technology and social media will emerge,” he explains. “But for now, parents sometimes feel [as if] they are in the Wild West. If parents are uncertain, moderation is always a safe guide.”
However, most of the concerns about the negative impact of technology, on eyesight, social development and cognitive development, were linked to the excessive use instead of mere exposure to tech, adds Odette Umali, founder and managing director of Gordon Parenting.
