Stop! Using Gadgets to Control Young Children – A recent study highlights an unhealthy trend where children are affected by parents who constantly monitor their children using gadgets such as cell phones, tablets, and even laptops to keep tabs on their little ones.
Think back and look around you. Surely we often see parents confiscating their children’s smartphones when they misbehave?
Conversely, it’s also not uncommon for parents to buy gadgets as rewards for their high-achieving children. While such use of technology can’t be entirely considered wrong, it’s also not entirely appropriate.
Parents need to adopt a more holistic approach when using technology to educate their children. Especially since the latest data from A.I. reveals a deeply concerning phenomenon.
Impact on Preteens
According to a report titled “State of Mobile 2024,” Indonesians rank first in terms of daily smartphone usage.
Joanne Orlando, a researcher at the Technology and Learning department at Western Sydney University, found that children aged 12 and under associate gadgets like iPads with good behavior. One child she interviewed even proudly referred to himself as a “good boy” because he owned two iPads.
This perspective was formed because, from a young age, their parents rewarded them with gadgets when they behaved well. Parents would start by allowing their children to play with their phones and eventually buy them their own gadgets when they did good deeds.
However, this indirectly leads children to think narrowly, associating gadgets with goodness. In reality, parents should teach children to use technology properly so they can become creative and critical thinkers.
Impact on Adolescents
The impact of using technology to monitor children also applies to teenagers. According to Joanne Orlando’s research, it was found that teenagers often feel their privacy is threatened when parents take away their phones as punishment.
One teenager even admitted that they were very afraid their parents would look through their phone when they confiscated it.
Because of this fear, they ultimately choose to remain silent when facing problems. They do not want to be seen as having done something wrong, which would lead their parents to take their phone—an action they interpret as a threat to their privacy.
Things Parents Need to Understand
Instead of simply using technology to reward and punish children, here’s what parents should do:
Reward and Punish According to Their Actions
Not every mistake or achievement a child makes needs to be rewarded with a gadget. A child who wins first place, for example, could be given a book, tickets to an educational park, or even a trip to a national park.
The same goes for punishments. Not every punishment has to involve confiscating a cell phone. A child caught skipping school, for example, could be punished by their parents with extra homework for a week to help instill discipline.
Provide Examples of Good Technology Use
Be a good role model when it comes to using technology. Set aside time with your children to use technology in creative ways.
For example, make crafts using tutorials on YouTube, learn about science by watching educational animated videos, or play chess online together.
When Technology Becomes an Addiction
In some cases, technology has become an addiction. This is especially true if, from a young age, children have only used technology to laze around.
That is why parenting styles need to change. Stop making technology the center of everything. Set healthy limits on gadget use, and don’t always reward your children with extra screen time.
Reasons Why That Is Not Allowed
The use of technology to control children—whether as a reward or a punishment—has been shown to have significant negative effects.
Research indicates that this parenting style can foster a narrow-minded perspective in preteens, leading them to associate positivity with gadgets without understanding the value of quality technology use.
Read Also : 7 Negative Effects of Children’s Gadget Addiction—Let’s Avoid Them!
For teenagers, actions like confiscating their phones often lead to a lack of trust in their parents. That’s why parents need to be more thoughtful when teaching their children how to use technology.
Punishments and rewards should be appropriate to the behavior, not simply based on the use of gadgets. Additionally, set an example by using technology creatively and critically. Stop using technology just to control your children!
