When should you introduce technology to children? & bull; hello healthy

Times keep changing. We cannot deny that there are changes in our lives, especially in terms of technological changes. Yes, this technological change has affected our lives a lot, including the lives of children.

Surely you've heard, 2 year olds can play gadget . Eits… but wait a minute, is it actually good if a 2 year old child is able to "grasp" gadge t? Don't be in a hurry, ma'am, technology is not always good for your child. It is better for mothers to be careful, mistakes can have a negative impact on children's development.

When should children be familiar with technology?

During their development, children can easily imitate the behavior of those around them. Therefore, it is very easy for children today to get to know technology at an early age.

However, many studies do not recommend parents to introduce children to technology, computers for example, at the age of children who are still under 3 years old. In fact, introducing computers to children at the age of not yet 3 years old is not the right choice to help develop and train children's skills. Children under 3 years of age are still developing their bodily functions, such as the functions of the eyes, ears, mouth, hands, and feet, so computer use is deemed inappropriate. The best learning at this age is by real-world experiences and interactions. So, inviting children to play with their friends is the right thing to stimulate children's development.

In fact, according to American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), children under 2 years of age who have been introduced to television can cause delays in their language skills. Children under 2 years of age do not have the cognitive ability to understand television and television shows can also interfere with communication time between parents and children.

Experts agree that it is best to wait until preschoolers (around the age of 3 years and over) to introduce children to electronic media. At this age, children can be introduced to technology to help them learn. Educational content on electronic media can be a way to train children to develop their ideas and help present images and sounds that can become children's learning media.

Research by Haugland in 1992 shows that children aged 3-4 years who have used computers to support their learning activities have a greater level of development than children who have no experience with computers. This level of development includes intelligence, verbal and nonverbal skills, structural knowledge, long-term memory, manual dexterity, problem solving, abstraction, and conceptual abilities.

The benefits that these children receive depend on the use of electronic media they usually do (what they use them for) and how often they use the media. Remember, parents should always supervise their children when they use electronic media, such as computers, laptops, cellphones and tablets.

How can parents assist the use of technology by children?

A child who is able to press a button or watch a video on a computer, laptop, tablet or cellphone does not mean that the child is ready to use electronic media. Children must get supervision when they are using electronic media.

An instructional technology supervisor at Manatee County School District , Florida, Jeannie Galindo suggested that the use of cellphones or tablets by children in an unsupervised environment should only start when the child turns 11 or 13 years old, as reported by the PBS Parents website.

The longer you give your child the cellphone, the better. Because cellphones can become addictive, which in turn can interfere with children's performance at school, or can even be the entrance to things that are not good for children. Children can easily access negative things which can then affect their lives.

Parents are advised to always supervise and be involved when their children use electronic media. The goal is for children to receive balanced exposure, with their parents and also with electronic media. Too much time for children with electronic media without parental supervision can reduce children's time with parents.

Parental involvement when children use electronic media is also a way to help children learn. Parents can ask things in the game application, point out different aspects of the game content, show how to enter and exit the application, and so on. That way, parents also know the extent to which the child has developed.

In addition, limit the time the child plays with the device gadget- his. Galindo again suggested limiting as much as 30 minutes for children aged 4-5 years each time they sit together gadget- her, while for children aged 6-7 years it is enough for 1 hour. Parents must also be smart in choosing educational game content for children according to their age, select applications with an age range that suits their child (usually registered in the application).

What parents must remember is parents as an example for their children, as well as in terms of use gadget . If the parent restricts the use of the child gadget , better be so to himself. Parents must be smart in sharing time with their children and when they are with children, parents should not be as good as possible gadget .