Introducing Technology to Your Child

Gone are the days of Saturday morning cartoons for kids of all ages. Now children can watch their favorite TV episodes and access apps and videos on a wide range of electronic devices.

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It’s tempting to start handing over phones or tablets to a small child while trying to make dinner or

get shopping done at the grocery store. Like other areas of parenting and child development, however, introducing children to technology needs to be an intentional and carefully guided practice.

Children and Technology Trends

The American Academy of Pediatrics estimates that children of all ages spend upwards of seven hours a day with media using different technological devices. These electronic devices include computers, televisions, cell phones, and tablets.

As small children develop into tweens and teens, they spend more than eleven hours a day ingesting media. Over 75 percent of the teenage population have cell phones, and it is estimated that teens send as many as 3,000 texts a month on average. Considering the important and basic needs of a child's life - such as adequate sleep, exercise, and concentration during school hours - this much time with technology can be too much.

Research About Children and Technology

Unlike food, sleep, or exercise, children do not need access to technology in order to survive, and great amounts of exposure to media has been linked to bigger problems. Recent research suggests that kids who have a large amount of media in their daily lives have problems sleeping, a greater chance of speech delays, obesity, difficulty concentrating, and poor physical health.

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In the October 2013 issue of Pediatrics, the American Academy of Pediatrics set new, stricter guidelines involving children's exposure to media of all forms. These new recommendations include:

●     Limiting all screen time to 2 hours or less each day.

●     No screen time for children under two years of age.

●     Keeping televisions, gaming systems, and other forms of media entertainment out of children's bedrooms.

Additionally, parents and caregivers are discouraged from having the television playing in the background; the colors and sounds can distract from a child’s natural tendency to learn and develop through daily active play.

Moderating Your Child's Media Diet

With the sheer amount of technology available, it may seem overwhelming or impossible to limit a child's access to media. However, just like eating too many sweets can damage a child's health, so can too much technology.

Striking a balance is essential to introducing children to how to use technology, especially as they are young. When kids are small, parents have a greater chance of establishing healthy boundaries with kids and media simply because they have more control. Strictly limiting screen time and setting up guidelines early helps parents and kids understand the role of technology as part of life, and not the other way around.

As children grow and develop, it is important for parents to stay involved and monitor their kids' media diets. There are many ways raise healthy kids online, including:

●     Setting limits. Have specific times of the day and amounts of time that kids can access electronic devices. Set timers and program the devices to turn off when the time is up. Many devices have apps that are able to make this happen.

●     Establishing "no technology zones" in your home. Bedrooms and the dining room table during dinner are excellent places to start. These are sacred spots, allowing children to separate technology from family time, sleeping, and homework.

●     Reviewing TV shows, apps, and games that children are watching and playing. Give time for your kids to explain their shows and games - they will love the opportunity and parents will be able to stay more involved.

●     Incorporating monitoring software. This tool allows parents to monitor their children's activities across a range of electronic devices, helping to ensure privacy and safety as children grow and develop online.

Technology is not an inherently negative influence on children. Too much technology, however, often is. Figuring out how to strike the proper balance and meet the individual needs of your child is a significant step in introducing them to an increasingly digital media-dominated era.