THE SLAVERY OF TECHNOLOGY. HOW TO PREVENT CHILDREN FROM BECOMING DEPENDENT AND WASTING THEIR TIME ON IT

Technology, apps, and social media offer children and teenagers many advantages and possibilities, but parents must keep in mind that minors do not yet have the maturity or the necessary digital skills to use them responsibly and safely. For this reason, families become a key element in the digital education of their children. The solution is not to block or prohibit, but to educate them so they can have a healthy experience with technology.

Families are a key element in the digital education of minors. Uncontrolled use of technology can lead to isolation, irritability, and stress in children and adolescents, as well as uncontrolled time consumption, which could be used for more productive activities.

Since tablets, laptops, consoles, and especially smartphones entered our lives a few years ago, our way of working, communicating, consuming, and interacting with our environment has changed radically. We are almost always connected to devices, without being fully aware of it. We check them almost constantly—when we wake up, while eating, walking down the street, waiting for someone, or even when sharing a meal with friends and family. Any excuse is good to quickly check a notification or send a message to one of our contacts.

These mobile devices have become an essential and indispensable part of our lives and have brought many positive things: they allow us to work from home, play online, communicate with our loved ones from anywhere in the world, or access any type of information.

However, spending too much time connected to these devices, or misusing them, can lead to negative consequences both physically and mentally. Excessive use without control can lead to addiction, sleep or vision problems, sedentary behavior, or low self-esteem if, for example, the desired number of followers or “Likes” is not achieved on social media. Children and adolescents are not exempt from these issues because they are growing up in a digital world that surrounds and dominates them. Many of them spend too much time connected to the internet without proper control from their primary caregivers.

Uncontrolled use of technology can also cause isolation, irritability, stress, poor academic performance, and negatively affect social relationships. The abuse of technological devices demands immediacy, causes overstimulation, and makes it harder to tolerate frustration, sometimes becoming an emotional treat that soothes or hides emotions like sadness, anger, insecurity, or fear.

The solution for children and adolescents to use their devices properly is not to radically prohibit their use. The goal of families should focus on teaching them to manage them in a proper and healthy way. If they learn to use them correctly from a young age, technology can become great allies for learning, leisure, and connecting with others. Establishing healthy habits with technological devices is key to avoiding conflicts at home or preventing exposure to inappropriate content.

Keys for the proper use of technology:

1. Limit the time based on the child’s age. An electronic device should never replace the time parents spend with their children or become the only form of entertainment, distraction, or contact with others. Creating a schedule where the moments in which the child can use devices at home are established will help avoid abuse and misuse.
2. Know and supervise what content the children are viewing. Know which influencers or YouTubers they follow to ensure they are appropriate for their age and analyze the impact this may have on them. In addition to using parental control tools, parents should also be informed about apps that are useful and educational for children and adolescents, which will help guide them correctly.
3. Be the best model for the use of technology that the child can have. What the adult does with the devices should always align with what they want to transmit. If the child sees that their parent is capable of having fun, being entertained, and learning through other activities and materials that are not virtual, the child will also be able to have fun and enjoy themselves without having to be connected.
4. Avoid using technology to reduce stress, calm anger, or manage frustration. Screens should not serve to entertain the child’s emotions because it would be very counterproductive for their emotional development. A child needs adults to teach them to identify and manage their emotions properly.
5. Create technology-free zones at home, thus fostering family cohesion. Meals can be a good time to share what concerns them, excites them, or what they would like to achieve; also to make plans together or discuss topics of interest to everyone. Before going to bed, it would also be advisable not to use screens and have devices stay out of the room.

Inform the child and adolescent about the potential dangers of incorrect use of their devices, the importance of privacy, and the need to maintain a respectful attitude when interacting through social media. It is very important that parents help the child develop critical thinking so they can analyze the content they consume.