In a world that’s run by technology, it’s hard to keep kids away from all things technological. But is that boon or bane? Honestly, when a child is allowed to overuse or abuse technology, the result can’t be good. Rather than trying to keep kids away from technology, give them what’s fun and educational, and teach them how to strike a balance between virtual and real lives.
The application of new technology that’s best suited for children is everywhere – from classrooms to bedtime stories. It starts long before classrooms, with modern parents preserving memories in digital modern baby memory books. Every parent should strive to bring his child the benefits of technology to help him develop and become ready for the future in every possible way.
Technology Meeting Art
Kids love to paint and sketch almost instinctively, and computers or drawing pads can give them unlimited access to colors and canvas. Does it mean you’ll stop giving them the chance to hold a brush or smell new paper or finger-paint? Of course not! It’s just that you won’t have to provide them with an endless supply of stationeries. Technology can introduce kids to the 3D art world, too!
Lessons of Empathy
Every parent needs to instill empathy in children – and technology can make it easier. For instance, there are apps which a child can use to help a blind man “see”, as they become their eyes. Children can help blind people through smartphones, video calls, etc. with simple tasks like checking expiry dates of products or interpreting documents. Science and technology can thus build a better human.
Educational Technology
The use of technology in the classroom of today is already widespread. Technology can bring the lessons alive, as kids learn while watching dancing numbers or story-telling animals. They can have libraries at their fingertips. Even simple rhyme videos can be fun and educational. Most recently, schools around the world implemented virtual classes during the recent Covid-19 lockdown.
Cognitive Development
Effective educational technology targets children at a young age to give the impressionable ones early education and help them develop cognitive skills. Many computers and apps are engineered to give children preschool lessons, from learning to count to getting ready to read. Technology can build higher-order thinking skills, eventually encouraging the application of abilities and learnings.
Sense of Community
Each child is unique, with special skills, areas of interest – and weaknesses. As mass media instills ideas of “coolness”, kids struggle to conform to and deal with social expectations. But the virtual world and social media platforms have communities to welcome them. Whether the kid is a geek, suffering from depression, or stuck inside the closet, virtual groups offer friendship and empathy.
Interpersonal Relationships
Work has taken people farther away from each other, but technology can bring them together. Even though many kids have to stay away from their parents or live across continents from their relatives, they can still stay connected with their close ones, thanks to technology. Through social media, video calls, and more, it is possible for children to develop new relationships while nurturing existing ones.
Patience and Problem Solving
We tell children not to waste time playing video games. But did you know that games can help in sharpening the problem-solving abilities of a child? Take any strategy game, for example. It requires them to make immediate decisions, be alert, move fast, solves puzzles, and more! It teaches them to complete the game patiently. And that’s just a game! Imagine what other gifts of technology can do!
Conclusion
There’s no telling where future technology will take us. To be honest, the world we live in is no less than a science fiction movie. Lucky are the kids born in this time and world where every skill can be developed with technology – from talking and counting to making friends and becoming perseverant. But make sure to allow them moderate and supervised usage to keep things under your control.
Author’s Bio:
Betti Wilson is a freelance author, but, what’s more important, what she is really devoted to, is her children. In her articles, she shares her own experience and writes about parenthood, lifestyle, family challenges, and how to deal with them without losing a positive attitude.
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