Power Struggle Over Smartphone- How Can You End It?
Most children have taught themselves how to swipe open phone before they could walk, or have a go-to slate of apps they easily navigate to, fiddles with and, occasionally, unknowingly, deletes things from their parent's phones. It is a common sight to see a child staring with zombielike glazed eyes at a tablet or a Smartphone or having meltdowns when they’re snatched away — in restaurants, at the mall, or on buses. When parents try to wrestle the gadget from their children’s tiny hands, they discovered a whole range of power fight and a modern phenomenon of the tech tantrum.
Can you relate to this? Are you in a situation where you feel that your child is addicted to Smartphone? Is Smartphone bad for your child? What can you do to end the power struggle?
Let’s admit it, Smartphone can really be handy when you need to distract or entertain your child. And because everyone has a Smartphone these days, they have become a handy gadget for all age., and most parents are addicted to their phones.
What Is The Danger?
When a child’s brain is developing it is important for them to interact with other people and with nature, and so when children stare down into a screen it does not facilitate the development of the nuances of communication, such as facial expression and the emotional parts of the language.
When a child spends time looking at a screen rather than a real human face, it takes away the benefits of interacting with other people and experiencing nature. Screen time is another way to be alone, mentally away from your family and other social and emotional development.
Along with missing out on the world around them, children who spend too much time with technology could develop serious long term behavioral disorder.
How Can You Tell If Your Child Is Addicted To Smartphone?
How do I know if my child is addicted to his or her Smartphone? Admittedly, many parents also have a cell phone addiction or a general technology addiction, but children are more sensitive to the amount of time using a Smartphone. So how can You tell if your child is addicted to his or her Smartphone? Here are withdrawal symptoms from Smartphone:
- Relentless
- Anger or irritability
- Sleep problems
- Loss of interest in activities that do not include phones
What Can You Do To End The Power Struggle?
Set a good example
Watch the time you use your device. If you keep your face buried in your phone, your child will not see why they shouldn’t. Plus, those devices affect the time you spend with your children.
Set Family Rules
Set rules and stick to them. At any age, children should know there are specific times when screens stay off, like at meals and before bed. When the rules are clear and consistent, you can avoid daily battles. Even better, set aside time every week when the family does something fun together — no devices allowed.
Help your kids find other ways to have fun.
If a child has nothing to do but to play with a Smartphone, then you should not be surprised when that is what he or she does. Keep other options — art supplies, books, Frisbees, and bikes — around and ready when your kids claim there’s nothing else to do.
Be ready to explain different screen-time limits.
Your child may observe other children whose parents allow more freedom when it comes to the use of Smartphone and naturally, they may wonder why your rules are different. These are opportunities to have conversations with your child about what your family’s values are.
Make tech work for you.
Use programs and apps that you can set to turn off computers, tablets, and smartphones after a given amount of time.
Don’t give your kids their own tablet or Smartphone.
Instead of giving your children their own gadget, opt for other things that encourage interactions with them. After all, they benefit more from face to face conversations. Do that instead of handing them an electronic device.
Make Phones, Computers, and TVs stay in the shared spaces of your home.
When it is necessary for your children to use an electronic gadgets, put them where they can easily be seen by others. This will enable you to not only control the time but also the content of what they watch.
Adjust screen-time limits as your child gets older.
For middle-scholars and teens, where electronic gadgets are used in schooling, you may want to involve them more in the decision-making process. You could talk to your child about how much screen time the whole family should get. Once you’ve settled on a plan, stick to it.
A Word Of Caution
With the increase in the use of technology and accessibility of information all around us, from smartphones, TVs, Computers, etc, most educators use electronic gadgets in their everyday programs and lessons. Our teachers at Active Tots Zone enjoy using a lot of online videos to teach and enhance lessons learned. Especially when introducing a new topic or explaining unfamiliar lessons. It is therefore important to communicate with your child’s educator or teachers to establish a time that your child should be exposed to screens. When setting a time limit, include also the time that your child is exposed to screen at the school.
To Conclude…
Our world today is at the highest peak of technological advancement. And it is a blessing to our everyday living. It pushes mankind forward into the future. However, like a coin that has two sides to it, the uncontrolled use of smartphones to children can cause a lot of harm. And as with everything, too much of anything is harmful. Smartphones and other electronic devices can be a great way to help your child learn new things, complete their educational assignment, relax, etc, however, balance is needed as too much exposure to a screen can cause more problems than the short term benefit. Needless to say, technology had made our lives easier in many aspects, we somehow become dependent on it. It changes how we think, influences how we behave and transforms our very life. And just imagine how it can affect the children.
