Yes… You need technology for effective parenting, however…

Yes… You need technology for effective parenting, however…

There is no doubt that technology has come to stay. The constant advances made in this field is a testament to the fact that technology has become a way of life. In the midst of all these, parents and individuals needs to know the following;

There is good news …

Despite the challenges of the 21st century, wonderful children are being raised by great parents. This development, makes it interesting to know how these parents can surmount challenges and use the odds for their good, especially with the advent of new media technology. In spite all that have been said about the gen Y and Zers and their tech savvy nature, isn’t it worth noting that technology is a way of life and you just must keep meeting up with the improvements that come with it? Especially when you’re in the city, otherwise… you’ll be stuck in the third industrial age.

There are mixed feelings …

Many articles postulate the negative effects of the new media technology use, while others still refer to its benefits. These have been the discuss such that the real issues guiding from this space are not addressed. You hear issues like “children should be protected from the internet to prevent cyber bulling and sexual harassment”!, They should not be in possession of smart phones at a young age!”, “They should not have access to social media! “How about, the access to inappropriate content/materials/sites? Addiction to gadget and ‘always on’ mentality?” …blah blah blah and list goes on.

There are good sides to the narrative …

All of the above are not wrong, but they distract from what is important. What is important however, doesn’t refer to the part where we say “it reduces the effect of absenteeism of loved ones, helps bridge communication gaps, builds social network online, eases work flow, improves productivity and increases output, access to useful materials/content/sites online for children/students”… and so on.

There is a missing link …

All of that is true. However, what we are missing is a key element that drives all of these, which is,  Values. Personal or family values determines the challenges and benefits of technology use and all it offers. We seem to move without taking into consideration the moral virtues that are needed to be applied in guiding our actions either online or offline. While some people are cautious and careful about what they do online to prevent certain opinions about them to be formed or don’t even care about peoples’ opinion, others do so because it is the proper conduct that should be exhibited.

Times are changing …

This recalls the case of the Carltons a couple that have known each other since childhood for about 20 years and have been married for 11 years. Both working class parents with 3 children and are determined to raise a happy family. As with most Gen Xers, the couple had to learn and keep up with the trends that technology brings. Utilizing it at work and in maintaining family and social ties as well as being aware of the effects it has on the society. They are also more in control and guided by their value system which they were raised in and have been well grounded against the negative aspect technology use poses. As with most parents that fall under this category, they also had the challenge of managing the technology needs/addiction of their children. Rather than encouraging them, they prevented them from having access to it. Ten years down the line, they realize that  the approach wasn’t the solution needed because the use of technology is a way of life now.

Parents and teachers needs to step up and harness the positive …

Many parents get it wrong in shielding their children from the danger’s technology use bring. The focus is always on keeping tech gadgets away from the children… totally wrong. This is the age of digital technology. If the children are prevented from having access to them at home and under the watchful guidance of their parents, they will when they are among peers.  For parents that allow their children to have access to them, they install controls that restrict/regulate their use. Although this is not wrong, the parents need more than activating parental control on their tech appliances and gadgets. They need to inculcate virtues and encourage the children to uphold moral values in the use of technology. Doing so helps the children make the decision on what is proper conduct that should be applied while online. They know when to avoid pedophiles, peer pressure, strangers and cyberbullies when they are online without guidance. This cannot be achieved if their parents don’t guide them during their early stages of the use of technology. In as much as this emphasizes that parents need to have close bond with their children and gain their confidence, it also means that when the parents are not close by they will still uphold their values through their conduct. Also, the school may not provide adequate training on the use of technology at an early stage.

Technological stereotypes can hinder innovation in kids …

The Carltons in a bid to protect their children from the dangers of technology prevented them from its use, thereby putting a hold on an aspect of their life which they should evolve with. And because technology keeps evolving, they were backward in its use and had to struggle to keep up with it, instead of being creative with the information it provides: to their advantage and the benefit of the society.

Therefore, it can be rightly said that, technology is a necessity in child upbringing, especially when there is a value system in place, properly communicated to them to guide their conduct in its usage.

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