Spare Change September 2018
Parenting in the Tech Age
The past eight weeks Pastor Alan and I have been leading a parenting class on Sunday evenings. The last session we felt it was really important to focus on parenting in the modern age; mainly concerning ourselves with media and technology. My generation was the last generation to grow up without the internet. I believe we got some form of it when I was in high school; however, it was the really slow dial-up kind that made that annoying sound as it connected. Kids today will never know a day without the internet. That means they are always connected to media- including games, social media, movies, tv shows, and music. These were things that we have had in some form or fashion for decades; however, never before has there been unlimited access to virtually every form of media. Whether we want to believe it or not technology has crept into every facet of life, but this is not always a bad thing. I love technology, it enables us to do so much and connect in ways we never thought possible. We can use it to learn and grow in so many ways. The point is not to take all technology away from kids, we don’t need to get off the grid, we just need to be educated and smart about it. Here are three ways to help parents in the tech age:
1. Remember it is About the Heart
Proverbs 4:23 says, “Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life.” This verse encourages us to guard our hearts. This literally means to put up a fence around our hearts. We are to be discerning about what we allow in. This is especially true in the area of technology and media. So much of what is out there is good and helpful; but there is also a lot that is damaging to our souls. We need to be diligent for our own benefit and also for our children. Kids don’t have the ability to discern what is good on their own so we must help put up the walls to guard their little hearts. Their heart is the source of life and if polluted with all the trash that can be found on the internet it will damage them long-term; so remember when helping your children in the area of technology we aren’t just making a list of dos and don’ts we’re seeking to protect their hearts.
2. Exercise Parental Control
Parents, remember you are in control! Don’t just give your child a tablet or phone without exercising your parental authority. It is lazy and harmful to give your kids what is essentially a pocket PC and expect them to do what is right. Kids get curious, they hear things from their friends so they want to check it out. This is not to mention that there are people that want to influence and hurt your children via the internet. We must remember that we are the ones that help to control technology for our children. Practically, we need to study and utilize the built-in parental controls of various devices (including gaming systems). We need to set time limits for tech usage. We need to set a bedtime for when our kids’ devices go off. Many of these features are built in, but there are also devices to help, like Circle or Koala Safe. There are also software options like Qustodio, Net Nanny, or Covenant Eyes.
3. Use Technology to Your Advantage
Finally, don’t be afraid of technology. Use it to your advantage. There are so many solutions out there to help families stay safe on the internet. One great option for whole home filtering and protection is OpenDNS, which is also free. Understand what your kids are playing, what they are watching, what social media sites they are into. There is a lot of good, helpful information out there to equip parents. Look at a site like pluggedin.com to see the content of movies or video games. There is no reason you shouldn’t have the information to have an informed discussion with your child about various media and technology topics.