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As with any cultural or environmental changes, keeping the balance is always the key. It would be quite irrelevant to say avoidance should be the next line of action when we all understand the positive effects of the digital age. It is true we live in a digital world, a world where everything is now done online, and as expected, our kids are starting to join in on the trend. And just like many adults, little kids are starting to spend excessive time online, getting to use apps that expose their privacy, and above all, they are getting excessively exposed to the radiations emitted from technological screens. So, what can we do as parents, to make sure that our kids are kept healthy in this fast-paced digital age? Find out below.
MANAGE SCREEN TIME
Computers and mobile gadgets these days generate both radio-frequency and low-frequency EMR (Electromagnetic radiation). And these types of radiations are potentially harmful especially when one becomes too exposed to them (something our kids love to do), and even the World Health Organization now calls them carcinogenic (i.e. may cause cancer). In fact, this radiation has been linked with many serious health conditions like damage to nerves, immune system, eyes, and other parts of the body. However, when parents manage screen for their kids, they help them minimize the number of hours these kids spend exposed to these harmful rays. But, if the digital age is starting to influence your kids negatively, there is still a solution after all. If your kids are starting to develop some eye conditions, sleep conditions, or any health-related condition of any sorts as a result of their excessive use of technological devices, you should be finding a perfect solution for them. You can buy a corrective/protective eyewear or any other important item you may need to help your kids. And guess what, you can even buy these items for cheap using a coupon code, so that you can reduce cost from each purchase and therefore buy as many as possible.
PROMOTE PHYSICAL ACTIVITY
Physical activity rather than virtual, online activity is the key to keeping your kids healthy in this digital age. There are so many physical activities to get your kids going and you only need to find the perfect one for your kids such as reading, peer-play, singing, dancing, sporting, fast walking, skateboarding, and lots more. A growing body of research has established that excessive screen time contributes to kids’ inactivity and obesity.
MONITOR MENTAL WELLNESS
Many researchers have established the fact that excessive use of social media and technology is a great threat to a kid’s mental state. And they’ve associated the growth of social media and technology use with the rising rates of suicide, anxiety, and depression. Parents should be well-informed about childhood trauma and the symptoms of mental illness, so that they can act as at when due.
RAISE SELF-APPRECIATION
The Global Wellness research reports that “the greatest challenges to mental wellness appear to come, not from the technology itself, but from the added pressures and pace of life in the digital age.” Children are always accessible, responsive to their peers, and use social media as a medium to compare themselves to others. This is why parents need to introduce kids to mindfulness meditate=ion and various techniques of self-appreciation and stress-reduction.
PROMOTE PEER FRIENDSHIPS
It is good to assume that social media is a good place to find and make friends. But, are your children making the right friends, if they are even making any at all? There is a growing sense of loneliness in today’s teens and children. Hence, parents need to start encouraging their children to become more involved in shared activities that promote social interaction in real-time.
SET A BEDTIME STANDARD
Children are generally fond of using their phones and other digital devices at night when everyone else at home is asleep. Many take part in online games, stream videos, play offline games, and chat. There is growing evidence that social media and digital gadgets deter children from catching the right amount of sleep they need. Hence, as a parent, you need to set rules for bedtime that every member of the family follows (including you; because you need to set the example), leaving gadgets to charge elsewhere.
USE ONLINE HEALTH GUIDE
There is now a plethora of health guides and information available online for parents to study and investigate health symptoms of concern and learn about prevention.
USE WELLNESS APPS
There is a wealth of wellness apps available out there for every parent to explore and use to help their children. Wellness and exercise apps can promote healthier lifestyles for parents and children.
DISCUSSION AND ENGAGEMENT
The last but not the least way to keep your kids healthy in the digital age is through discussion. As a parent, you should seat your kids and talk to them about the dangers, benefits, and safety of the digital age. Make them see reasons why they shouldn’t disclose their identities to anyone online, why they should try to catch as much sleep as possible, and ultimately why they need to minimize the amount of time they spend using their gadgets.
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This content is brought to you by Uday Tank.
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