Kids & Mobile Tech
I was inspired by a blog post to write this article which should make parents think about kids and mobile phones.
I did not grow up with this issue because mobile phones were not part of my childhood. But I can empathize with parents who do have to deal with it and the effects on their kids. From what I can understand, some parents do not realize the way they use the phone says more to kids than anything else.
This article on kids and smartphones suggests that most parents give their kids smartphones from the age of 9-13. Many parents who did so regretted the action because of the changes presented after introduction. In particular, there was lower sense of life satisfaction several months after.
One negative connotation is that young people started to compare themselves to others and became aware there was a group of more popular individuals they should aspire to communicate with. We all know that what our peers do has a heavy impact. But by connecting on social media, these kids realized how this could impact their emotions.
That got me to think about the kids I cater to from 6-8 years old. They are relatively innocent at this age and so learning to be happy with themselves and being able to put things in perspective has a huge value before they get to be immersed in technology. So learning positive examples from bedtime stories will serve them well later in life. That and parents leading by example is bound to be effective and life changing.