Has Technology Made Parenting More Challenging?

It won’t be an understatement to say that parents and guardians are somewhat the totals of their child’s life. Their teachings and learnings can be very well-identified from how their munchkin behaves and reacts in certain situations. No doubt, their efforts can’t be retaliated, they sow the best seeds of learning, but does the thought that “today’s parenting is way harder than what it used to be 20 years ago”, ever occur in your subconscious mind? 

In a survey initiated by the Pew Research Center, more than 66% of parents find this thought a legitimately true concern. 

Charles Deluvio/Unsplash | A large number of parents believe that technology has made parenting difficult in the modern age

Screen time – An important concern

Four out of five parents in the U.S. believe that raising a child in this decade is far tougher, as compared to a decade or two ago. About 2000 American parents actively participated in a recent survey where they tried to handle their school-going child, and came to a conclusion that it’s really very challenging to deal with children in this technology-oriented digital age. Parents also complained that just because of access to technology outreach, their children tend to grow up faster and learn stuff they aren’t supposed to. 

Who can be blamed?

Many parents shared that their children got access to their first internet device at the age of seven. On the contrary, some parents said their kids had access to the web while they were just three to five years old! Isn’t it really a matter of concern? But the question is, who can be blamed? 

According to a survey conducted by OnePoll, it was found that 43% of kids were spending most of their free time on some type of internet-connected device, and thanks to the pandemic, this number has increased like crazy. 

Kelly Sikkema/Unsplash | According to a survey, it was found that 43% of kids were spending most of their free time on some type of internet-connected device

The pandemic and its after-effects

The pandemic has been a really tough job to deal with. Every individual is still scared and mentally shaken. In such situations, not only children, adults also need a getaway, something that can keep us happy and entertained.

This is why we all switch to social media and all other sorts of portals that can keep us well entertained. Similarly, during the most stressful of days, many parents admit to allowing their children to spend more time on gadgets so that they don’t lose their sanity and keep themselves entertained. Fair call, TBH!

Major concerns

The topmost concern that one can think of when it comes to children’s safety is the negative effects of the internet that shake them up and leave a scar for their entire life. Now, these negative effects include dangerous social media interaction, cyberbullying, exposure to inappropriate content, and much more.

Kelly Sikkema/Unsplash | The topmost concern that one can think of when it comes to children’s safety is the negative effects of the internet that shake them up and leave a scar for their entire life

What seems to be the solution?

When the parents decide to talk about their major concerns in respect to the child’s screen time, they often end up getting answers like, “we know more about the internet”, “you don’t need to worry”, etc. So, how can we fix this without starting a war between parents and children?

By opting for additional software security measures like content filters and much more. We could also opt for silent monitoring of the devices that children use so that we can at least stay in the loop of what they’re getting exposed to online. What’s your take on this?