Supervising High-Tech Time
Parents just worry and shake their heads. Their children are spending so much time alone, away from the family, playing with that new electronic gadget.
Is it a Nintendo Wii™? Xbox®? iPod™? “When portable record players came out in the ’50s,” says Richard Gilman, PhD, “parents worried that their children spent too much time with it, playing Everly Brothers records. Times have changed, but children haven’t.”
Today, parents are concerned about the wired child, who’s plugged into computers, cell phones and iPods from morning to lights out and beyond.
How much is too much electronic absorption, and how do parents draw the line?
Tool for Enriched Learning
“With each generation, parents are concerned that a new form of technology will lead to delayed development in some area,” says Dr. Gilman, coordinator of psychology and special education in the Division of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics at Cincinnati Children’s. “But studies are showing that technology in schools is enhancing learning in speech and social growth. Children are learning in different ways from their parents.
“Computers draw children, because of the opportunities available just by clicking a mouse, but there’s opportunity for good and bad. As with TV viewing, it’s vital that parents keep communications open with their children and monitor the content and frequency of the internet and video game interaction,” he says.
Set Limits
“This is no invasion of privacy. Sometimes children confuse the privilege of having a computer with a right to have one. It’s the parents’ right to set limits on it.”
Dr. Gilman recommends side-by-side time at the computer. For example, if a teen insists on having a Facebook page, he recommends parents help create it to keep an eye on content and then closely monitor traffic to the page.
For parents worried about the sedentary nature of electronics leading to obesity, Dr. Gilman recommends they find alternatives that are fun for parent and child. “Go hiking or biking together. Or buy a dance program for Wii and play together.”
Experts suggest for every hour children spend in nonstructured, non-active leisure pursuits, they should spend an hour or two in active pursuits.
The one-to-two guideline also pertains to face-to-face family time. “It is a problem when electronics replace essential human interaction with adults and peers. It can lead to social isolation. That’s why supervision is essential,” Dr. Gilman says. “Parents also need to be aware of how children are coping with what they find online.” Sharing computer time offers parents “teachable moments” to discuss, for example, the trustworthiness of online content or what draws the child to certain web sites.
“Understand that a child’s electronic time is not necessarily a substitute for spending meaningful time with family – it’s an adjunct. The beauty of the human condition is that we adapt,” he says. “If children use technology in class with good supervision, it’s not a substitute for human interaction. Parents can continue that same supervision at home while keeping the child actively involved in family life.”
