There is just so much that children can learn when they are playing video games and using social media. Technology prompts them to gain personal growth and build skills that they can leverage to innovate and land good jobs in the future. Here are four ways in which technology can be good for your children:
1. Opportunity for creativity and freedom
No one has big imaginations like your child! Unlike in the past where children only had colored markers and crayons to convey their imaginations, at the moment they can use computers and tablets to turn their ideas into reality. Rather than just using pen and paper, your children can create projects using technology such as the Raspberry Pi 4 set to draw 3D images then print them out so that they take a physical form. Raspberry Pi 4 can also be used by children for projects such as building a weather station, constructing a computer, or programming games. Given how curious children can get, who knows… the projects they work on would be a prototype to an innovation that is worth millions of dollars in the future. The skills that your children gather from their interaction with such technological tools are linked to a form of creative expression. While they may develop skills such as coding, they can also express themselves by programming mobile apps or video games.
2. To foster socialization
Hobbies such as sports and reading are similar to interests like social media, video games, and mobile applications. Such activities make it easy for children to socialize with other kids who also utilize technology. Children tend to share their interests in technology on social platforms like social media and on live chats on video games with their mates as they do over TV shows.
Additionally, should they want to take their hobbies to a whole new level, they can learn to code and design games on a class set up or on a tech camp like which offers a chance for them to build strong relationships with their peers. Children make friends so fast, so with each project they work on, it is a child to network and gain allies as they grow up. You cannot tell where their early STEM exposure will lead to; for all you know, they could be the future tech mogul!
While technology fosters socialization, it is also a place of great potential risks. Parents should ensure that they use the right VPN to secure children’s online presence. Moreover, there might be valuable sites that are restricted, therefore in these cases, you need a VPN to skip the Great Firewall.
3. Technology to develop independence
The process involved in the conceptualization of an idea and bringing it to life following a thorough research and trying out numerous ways to recreate an innovation make children independent. In the absence of technology, such a process would not be easy. While developing new innovation is fun, it is the empowerment and independence they derive from using technology that contributes to your children’s growth and development. A defining moment for a child is when they create something unique and share it with the world for instance during a school fair. Some of the past innovations that have been created by children that we enjoy today include Trampoline by George Nissen, Christmas lights by Albert Sadacca, and T-Pak by Kelly Reinhart. Thus, should children continue pressing past their fears, they would wind up developing solutions for the world as they grow older.
4. Using technology for problem-solving
Video games such as “Minecraft” teach children survival mode by daring them to stay “alive” to outlast their opponents. In the game, players are dropped in harsh environments where they are forced to build a shelter, get food, and collect weapons to survive. “Minecraft” might seem like an obscure example but if such a game can encourage a child to keep going, imagine the kind of perseverance and problem-solving skills that they may develop to survive in the real world. When children begin to use technology early, they:
- Learn how to avoid conflicts with others in school and in their daily life
- Develop positive attributes
- Prepares them for academic success
- Strengthens their empathy skills
Note: You as a parent play a crucial role in encouraging children to deal with technology, however what if you are not that proficient in it? Well, you could attend Job Training Courses that focus on IT & computer technology and develop your own skills. This way you will be able to nurture your children’s talent in technology.
Final word
Kids’ continuous exposure to technology might be the solution to solving today’s world problems such as climate change, disease eradication, education equality, or accidental deaths. It is our duty as parents to empower and guide our children to use technology for the right reasons.