As a society we are experiencing drastic changes in how technology, media and social media are used, More and more people are developing a kind of addiction to mobile devices that keep them "connected" to the cyber world.. And an earlier poll by Common Sense Media came to confirm that.
Beyond the numbers, The report also includes tips for tackling this growing trend of mobile phone addiction for children and teens.. See what parents can do to help their children with this phenomenon:
Set limits on phone usage
Parents can not just take the various gadgets from their children in the hope that this will solve the problem. What they can do is determine how many hours a day a cell phone is allowed to be used, but also some free time zones of it. The rules depend on the family. Some may decide to set simple boundaries, such as turning off the cell phone, while the child sits at the table to eat. Others may choose to set more specific rules with a total ban on cell phone use after some time at night (separately for weekdays and weekends).
Check out the apps your kids use
Parents should check the applications that the child has on his mobile phone. Make sure they are age-appropriate and that they are useful and beneficial for the whole family. There are applications that enhance the creativity and quality of the time the whole family spends together. Parents need to encourage their children to be creative and responsible users of technology, not just passive subscribers to all sorts of relentless applications..
Really care
Parents should interact with their children, while they use their mobile phones and other devices connected to the internet. They should support their children's learning, to help them explore new things, to see who are the ones who catch their attention on the internet and play with them. It will also help if parents guide their children on how to challenge and judge media messages, to enhance their understanding of the role of the media in society.
Show the child the effects of using a cell phone, while doing other things
The study found that adolescents do not realize that the quality of their reading is affected by the simultaneous use of their mobile phone. Parents need to know that it is important for their children to focus on what they are doing at all times and reading plays a very important role in this. They should therefore create an environment with minimal distractions, where children stay away from all forms of social media, while reading, or while talking to them about something important.
Set an example for children
Parents should start from’ all by themselves. Start by setting aside your cell phone while sitting at the table to eat, or at other times. Always keep your mobile phone on hand and do not use it while driving: is a very bad example for the child! In general, you should show your children the values you want to pass on to them.
Source: http://www.techtimes.com
