Children today are growing up in a technology dependent society and as such are using technology from their early stages of development. Technology has many benefits and can aid your child’s learning however there is a danger of using devices from such an early age – technology addiction.
A relationship survey* conducted by Brookman Solicitors has revealed the impact of technology on society. A majority of respondents (75%) agreed that technology has had a damaging effect on their relationship. Children have a strong tendency to replicate their parent’s behaviour, so if you are constantly glued to your phone this may lead your child down the same path. Here, we reveal five tips you can implement to prevent your tot from developing a tech addiction!
How to prevent tech addiction in children
Take these steps to set up good tech practices at home that will help children develop good habits with technology and games.
- Have a dedicated hiding place for technology
Having technology easily accessible around the house will make gadgets very tempting for your child to play with. A strong tip we recommend is to have a dedicated hiding place for devices out of your child’s eyesight or reach.
- Encourage alternative forms of play
Technology is an easy distraction for your children, especially when you are busy. However tech should not be used as a babysitter constantly as this can lead to a technology addiction. Encourage your children to play outside or use toys and books when indoors, leave them dotted around the house so whatever room your child is in they have something to play with that isn’t an electronic device.
- Assign “No-Screen” time
In order to make sure your children aren’t spending all their time on gadgets you can assign “no-screen” time, a dedicated period in the day where technology is out of bounds. Make sure “no screen” time applies to the whole family, including yourself, in order to set a precedent to your children that there should be a healthy balance with technology.
- Take advantage of parental controls
Most devices have parental controls than can help you manage what your child is seeing and doing online, also many individual apps have settings that can restrict access. You can hide apps from your child, prevent in app purchases and stop your child from downloading new apps without permission. How this works will depend on your device brand and model so make sure to read up on their specific guidelines on parental controls.
- Take action and lead by example
Children will learn from how you behave, so if you cannot live without your smartphone or laptop it is likely your children will pick up on this and copy this mentality as they develop. If you provide clear boundaries such as no technology at the dinner table, you will set a good example to your children that they can learn from for the future.
Do you have any more tips for helping to control tech time? Share with us in the comments.
*The online survey by Brookman Solicitors, a specialist divorce and family law firm was conducted with 1006 married individuals, based in the US, during April 2018. The couples were asked 10 questions relating to their marriage, relationship challenges, solutions, technology and how social media plays in relationship breakdown. Brookman advises clients in the UK and internationally and is ranked by the Legal 500.
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