Being smart parents in digital age

Raising children in the digital age become more challenging. We are having Aidaliza Azmi, a Google for Education Certified Trainer, also known as Teacher Aida to talk about ‘Digital parenting’.

By Tan Xin Hui

According to Aida, the concept of ‘digital parenting’ is meant to become parents who have basic skills in digital literacy, understand the impact of using technology, cyber safety and social media, and also know the right way to set up ‘parental control’.

“Being a digital parent, you are able to track your children's digital footprint in the online world, you can educate about cyberbullying or keeping them safe from online sex predators, and even choose to have full access to your children's devices”, she added.

Aida said that the digital world like a deep ocean while parents and the children are swimmers. “How do we let our children swim in the deep ocean if we do not know how to swim and what is in the ocean? If something unexpected happens, how can we save our children?” she explained.

Parents are advised to give more emphasis to physical activity more than screen activity because this is what children need in their development. PHOTO Adelin Aris

Q&a with aidaliza azmi

How to control the usage of electronic devices among children?

This one comes first, parents themselves need to have self-control while handling devices. For example, set time rules for social media usage to only one or two hours a day.
The second step is to apply house rules for gadget use. Being a mother myself of 2 teenagers aged 12 and 14, one of the rules I set is ‘smartphone restricted areas’ such as children’s bedrooms and dining area. My children are not allowed to use their smartphone in their room. Their door should always be open if they need using the laptop to complete homework.
You can also set time limits for using devices, for example allowing children to play games or watching YouTube for only one or two hours a day.
Most importantly, parents must be firm in implementing these rules. If parents are not consistent in enforcing rules, then the effectiveness of gadget usage control will not be achieved.

How to prevent children from accessing inappropriate online content material for their age?

In this issue, the understanding of digital footprint skill is very important for all parents. With digital footprints skill, parents can track children's online activities, have access to children's devices and their activities on social media.

Parents are also required to know about parental control applications that can help to block specific sites and apps, and also allows limiting children’s time spent on certain devices and apps.

For me, I am using Google Chrome browser to track and monitor my children’s internet activity through ‘browser history’.

What is an appropriate screen time and age for children surfing the internet?

Screen time is the number of times spent using electronic devices such as televisions, smartphones, tablets, personal computers, laptops, console games, etc.

American Academy of Pediatrics and World Health Organization (WHO) recommend screen time guidelines:

Baby under 18 months old- no screen time recommended
18-24 months old – parents can start introducing some quality programs like Sesame Street but make sure to watch together with them
Below 5 years old-No more than an hour a day
Above 5 years old-No more than 2-3 hours a day including the homework time

Parents must ensure that the child has enough sleep and practice regular bedtime.

How can parents solve child's device addiction problem?

There are a few steps you can do when found out your kids addict to electronic device or certain application:

Hide the charger, this step is only effective if parents do not share the device with children
Parents themselves must limit or restrict the use of the device in front of children
Avoid grabbing the device directly from children. Slowly distract their attention from the device. For example, tell your child that "mom will take you to the playground in 10 minutes" after an hour of watching YouTube,
Doing more physical activities with the children, you can take them to the playground, play sand on the beach, play board games or drawing together.
Be prepared to see a paediatrician if the addiction reaches an alarming level.

Parents must be willing to sacrifice time and energy for this issue and don’t just expect the child can overcome the addicted on their own.