Children, Gadgets And Internet Access

Always a dicey issue to discuss. Some parents would totally not allow their kids to have any form of gadget that allows internet use while others let them use it as early as possible. Before we continue, do you know that children these days know so much more than we did when we were their age? I met a nephew one day trying to do his assignment, I could not believe the words that were given to this child of barely 10years old to define and then give it’s opposite. It is not close/open, start/stop o. So of course he was surfing the internet on his mum’s ipad.

This generation is filled with so many tech-savvy children. Always scrambling for their parent’s ipad, ipones, computers, etc, Some as young as seven have their own phones and ipads. Within minutes they can figure the whole thing out and even download a few games.  Like I tried to express before there are the ups and downs to it.

Let’s start with the positives shall we? The games in these gadget helps sharpen and stimulates  their minds because it involves them manoeuvring obstacles, answering a few questions (games like Four Pictures One Word) and keeps them thinking. It also serves as an “unpaid babysitter” because it gets them to seat still for sometime while you get busy with house chores without interruption. The internet can be very educative for children they can learn how to do almost everything. (Grow beans, play instruments, write articles and so much more).

And the down side will poor social skills. Research has shown that kids with too much access to gadgets and the internet are less interested or lack the ability to have solid face to face conversation with an adult or relate to their peers. They can also be exposed to different inappropriate sites, music with vulgar lyrics, pictures and videos.
With regards to the above, there are ways to restrict the internet access on the gadget your child uses. You are able to control what your child can access and download on the gadget. Please click http://www,cnet.com/how-to/childproofing-your-internet-enabled-gadgets/ for more information.

If I were a parent, first no child of mine will be getting any internet enabling device until they are at least 16 years of age and even at that, some sites will be screened out. But before 16, 17years of age they can use mine of course with adult supervision. And also no playing with gadgets on school days just weekends unless they have an assignment which requires access and again they can access it with adult supervision.

That is my take. What is yours?