Young Children and Technology

The idea that children should not use technology as they are too young and would use it too much is false, as children have positive technological experiences daily, sometimes without their parents or guardians even noticing.

There are some simple ideas that all parents and guardians should follow when allowing their children to use technology. These are;

• ensure you  have passwords on all of your devices so you children cannot download any material without parental consent.

• always be with your children when they are using a device to encourage positive play, don’t use it as a pacifier because you are too busy or driving a car.

• have lots of educational apps available for your child to use, as well as some fun games (which usually end up being the educational ones) instead of inappropriate games which contains violence or nudity.

• ensure that any free apps you have that the ads on these are appropriate

• research your apps before you by to ensure that are safe to use for your children

• limit time of use with technology, partly because we are busy and also so your children do go outside and play games instead of staying inside.

With these simple ideas in your head you are then able to explore with your child through the use of technology. your children will be able to, once turning 5, use a phone device confidently on their own, know the key aspects of a computer and feel confident in turning it on, know how to use a tablet and even know how to use a television control and know what channels they like the most.

Sometimes we underestimate the knowledge young children can gain simply through observation and a hands on approach. We all need to remember we need to prepare our children for their adult lives and because technology will forever be a constantly changing thing we need to teach children how to use the technology that we have today so they can adapt to the technology of tomorrow.