*This is a partnered post
When people hear about tech and children, and putting in two together, can be something that is a pretty polarizing. There are many people that are for it, but there are many that are against it. But are there some cons to exposing children to technology? To round it up, there are going to be some cons for it, of course. Like most things, there are things that do have good and bad, and so you do need to find a balance that works well for your family. For example, eating some pizza can be pretty good. But eating pizza all day long is something that is bad. Sleeping is good too. But sleeping all day is something that is typically bad. So with technology and children, it is all about finding the right balance and not just letting them use it all day. How do you avoid them using it all the time or do you just go for a complete ban?
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If you do choose to go down the route of banning tech and smart gadgets, then it can be a good idea, but it can be hard to maintain. It can take the chance for some fun and entertainment away, as well as helping them to learn new skills. We live in a world that is using technology more and more. So in terms of education and career progression, they are going to need to know how a lot of things work. This is where finding a balance comes in. It is important to help children to learn from technology, as well as learn how to use it, but also being able to parent wisely and protect them from certain things in the right way. With all of that in mind, here are some of the good effects and the benefits that can come from using technology, both at school and at home. Then you can decide what kind of balance you will choose when at home.
Children have some pretty big imaginations, which is wonderful to harness. Using paper and crayons can be a good idea, and has been the go-to choice creatively for a while. But there are things like computers and tablets that can also help them to express that side of things and bring their creativity to life. As well as just drawing on paper, children now have the chance to make the most of things like 3D printers, to create something and then literally bring it to life. There are skills to learn too, such as coding, which does have a creativeness attached to it. Children can also get creative with virtual reality games, which is becoming a bigger and bigger market. So checking out some of the best kids VR games could be a good idea, especially with the holidays coming up. There are also things like video gaming or programming that can also be a way to express and create as children get older.
Socialization and Relationship Building
It shouldn’t be something to scare you, but the chance that your children will find other children that play the same game to bond with them over it, or bond over technology in other ways is quite high. And if you don’t use it, then it can make a difference to that child. As has been said, we all use technology in our daily lives, so bringing it into your life in one way or another is really important. Things like video games and apps can be seen as hobbies and interests, just like the other hobbies they enjoy like sports or reading. But there is a socialization aspect that comes with tech.
Even beyond the aspect of children bonding and talking over games or playing with their friends virtually, they can take the interest to another level, with something like learning how to build a video game themselves, or learning to code in classes. As a result, it means getting together with like-minded people their age, which is a great way for them to chat and get to know one another.
Independence
Technology is something that allows our children to be creative and expressive, but it also means that they can learn to do something without very little help, and that is a great way to foster independence. Take something like 3D printing, for example. They can design and create the idea that they want using an app and a device, and then they can connect the printer and see it made into a reality. As they can learn to do this on their own, who knows where it will take them! This independent feeling can be very empowering for children, especially if they have struggled in other areas of learning or school. It can be a tool for them that is really powerful.
Enhanced Learning
While there are skills as mentioned above, that are all about creativity and independence, it can help your children to become better learners. Normally, or traditionally, you might associate something like books and schools with learning. But computers are changing things. Of course, in addition to computers, there are things such as virtual reality that are showing that learning something could be done in a completely different way. Take for example, a school topic about the Great Barrier Reef or about the Egyptian Pyramids. Using VR, children could literally step into these places and see how they were built. This is something that will really help those children that learn through images or through doing something, as it is something that will leave a rather vivid picture in their memory.
There are some more traditional benefits that come from using technology as well. For example, there are more classic suggestions like video games being good for hand and eye coordination, as well as improving reaction time and problem solving. These things are just as important too. So there is so much to think about when it comes to technology and using it in our lives and the ways that it can benefit children. So seeing how it will fit into your life is a must.
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