I distinctly remember when the iPhone was released in 2007. Not only was it a breakthrough in mobile technology, but it was the foundation of the digital era that we know today. Before the iPhone (and subsequently Android devices), we were confined to a chair to search the internet and check up on our friends on Facebook. This smartphone enabled technology to go with us and ignited today’s spark of constant connectivity.
Although my children were born before the iPhone emerged, they don’t know life without the immediate gratification of technology. Given solid wifi and data, nearly everything is accessible to them with smartphones and tablets.
Good and bad
Positive and negative
Healthy and unhealthy
Appropriate and inappropriate
Risk and reward
It’s a game changer in the world of parenting. There is no person sitting at the ticket counter asking if they are old enough to watch, listen to, or be exposed to non-age appropriate things like when we were growing up going to the movies.
It means that we must pay better attention if we want to keep our children safe from predators, protected from disturbing content, and help them develop into well-adjusted, well-rounded young adults.
Damn, it’s hard though, isn’t it? Every time we think we know what’s going on, there is a new update, a new app, or a new word to Google. My daughter is worried about her streaks, and my son is obsessed with 2nd generation Pokémon.
The way children interact, the way they form their social circles, and the way they learn about relationships is heavily influenced by what they see on their mobile screen. The language that they speak is based in “app talk”, and the way they find out what their friends are up to is from Snapchat stories and Instagram posts (not talking to them on the phone or catching up with them at school).
Welcome to iParent Education.
We address today’s technology advances and trends in language you can understand.
We provides tips and tricks on how to better communicate with your tech child and understand what they are doing.
We remove the question, “What are they talking about?”
Parents don’t have to know or need to know everything about technology, but they need to be empowered to keep their kids safe in a digital age.
