All three of my children are adults and thus, I have zero control over their technology use. I’m grateful for that in that it must be absolutely overwhelming for parents of young children to manage the constant demand and scary changes that technology can offer their children. My oldest just missed most of the social media influence when he was a teenager. My younger two had more access, but it was still relatively easy to control most of their intake.
Since families have technology and children have access to it at earlier and earlier ages, it must be so stressful for parents to find a balance that works for them. I’m addicted to my phone, so I understand how even young children can be drawn in by the entertainment that tablets and phones can provide. I really could have used a good tablet when traveling by plane with my fidgety and unhappy toddlers!
I’m profoundly grateful for the technology that has allowed my husband and me to stay in close contact with our adult children. When I was in college, (Yes, I know I sound like a 90-year-old.) I called my parents on Sundays because that’s when the charges were the cheapest. My parents had no clue of my daily life in college, which trust me, was for the best, and I didn’t know much about their lives at home. I looked forward to those Sunday calls, but would have loved more connection throughout my college experience.
Technology can be a burden or a blessing. The key is using it to increase family connection and also knowing when to lookup and talk face-to-face. #parenting #technology #socialmedia #communication Click To TweetAll three of our children have traveled overseas. The peace of mind of tracking a flight or a FaceTime call from long distances has been wonderful for their periodically nervous parents. Our daughter FaceTimed us from the Taj Mahal. It was an emotional moment for all of us and a truly miraculous one because of technology. Our youngest son has been backpacking through Europe on his own. To ease his parent’s concerns, he has allowed us to check his location via “find my phone.” He has also granted us a daily “proof of life” text that we look forward to each morning.
The greatest part of technology, however, has been our “fam” group text. The five of us stay connected, argue politics, share funny memes and videos all through our iPhone group text. It’s such a pleasure to have the five of us connected via technology, because it’s so rare to have us all together in the same place for any length of time. That family text brings me such joy, laughter, and connection.I certainly don’t have the answers for managing the pain while also enjoying the glory of technology. Balance certainly seems to be in order, yet balance can be so different for each of us. Finding ways to utilize technology to increase connection seems well worthwhile. And finding times to put it away to also increase connection makes sense as well. Technology is here to stay, so learning to live with it and make it a positive part of our lives is a worthy goal for all families.
Love,
Lisa Kaplin Psy. D. PCC