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March 4, 2017

Pros & Cons Of Children Learning To Use Technology

I know we keep on bringing this same question up…and the research gives us different messages…but, really, I think it is so important as parents to think through how having open access to handheld devices and other electronics impacts kids. What are the pros and cons of children having such easy and unlimited access to technology?

More and more I am seeing kids of younger and younger ages having their own iPhones and iPads and laptops.  Schools are even requiring that students have them to do assignments and keep connected to their teachers.

While I do see that it’s a wonderful opportunity for them to learn the skills that will be necessary for their future education and careers, I also see that it might be contributing to some decrease in social skills and ability to stimulate and soothe themselves.  How does it impact your creativity when you can find everything you need already created online?  How do you find your internal resources for working through your emotions when you can distract yourself by immersing in technology?

It seems to be the human condition to go to extremes.  How do we teach children moderation?

More importantly, how are you, as a parent, helping your child learn moderation and focusing on social skills person to person before that skill gets lost in our culture?  This is a bigger issue than we know and often we don’t notice until one generation grows up to adulthood and does not know how to hold a conversation in which everyone listens to each other, makes a comment about what they heard and then shares something about themselves.  Building connection with another human being is what makes the world go around.