There are many reasons why parents would want their children to spend a little less time with technology, and according to research, around 85% of participants experienced a drop in melatonin when exposed to blue light. Melatonin helps make us sleep and for children, this is a time for children to grow. But apart from the obvious dangers that technology poses, there are a number of benefits to technology that can easily propel children to excel in life. Discover ways that parents can unlock the benefits of technology in a positive way.

Help them choose social media pages wisely

While social media is known to affect the mental health of teens, it’s hard for them to completely avoid social media platforms. Parents can come alongside their children and help them make healthy and safe choices where social media is concerned. This includes choosing pages that inspire and encourage, as well as limit pages that promote the retail environment. While there are real dangers in terms of social engineers, guiding children to use the maximum available safety measures will help them stay safe and private while online.

Encourage apps that perform multiple functions

Apart from the relaxation games and social apps provide, there is also the opportunity to encourage growth and development. A few minutes a day on an app that stimulates and encourages children to create can have a remarkable effect on their overall performance. Apps that encourage the user to take some time before starting the next also allow children to exercise a healthy balance between their apps and doing things that don’t necessarily require technology. By choosing a device that allows offline access to the apps, there’s no need to always find a Wi-Fi hotspot in order for the kids to enjoy their apps.

Create family time pockets

Children often resort to technology out of sheer boredom and one of the best ways to combat that is to include them in family activities. This can include a walk in the park, a picnic, spending time at the beach, or simply just allowing them to help choose flowers for the garden. Involving them in meal prep is also a great way to harness the positive side of technology, as this might encourage looking up recipes for the future instead of getting stuck on one video after the other.

When technology is used for a specific purpose, such as research or assisting in reaching goals, it becomes a healthy part of the daily routine. What parents and children need to guard against is the mindless use of technology and potentially unsafe sites and applications.

Written by Lucy Wyndam

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