In todays world, technology is a part of our everyday life. Our homes are full of gadgets that make life easier. With the convenience of modern technology, comes the challenge to maintain a balanced and healthy living environment. There are many factors to take into consideration, whether it is managing EMF exposure or creating a sustainable tech environment. Many of us want to know how to keep your home a healthy tech zone? Understanding how to balance these elements will make a huge difference to our mental and physical well-being.
Mobile phones have become a normal part of our lives. We use our mobile phones for the majority of things.
Book exercise classes, bank, message friends, and answer work emails. Most of us can do so much in one place that we are never far away from our phones. It’s possible to have your phone on at the dinner table, or even when you are with your children.
Derek McCormack, from the Parenting Research Centre, says there are simple ways to create healthy tech habits in our families. It all starts with parents.
Derek shares his top tips on how to make your home a place that doesn’t let technology interfere with your relationships.
Raising children in the digital age can be challenging. It’s hard to keep up with new technologies and balance the risks and benefits that they bring.
Best Practices for a Healthy Tech Zone Home
1. Set time limits to ensure healthy tech habits.
It is important to set appropriate time limits for your child. The American Academy of Pediatrics advises that digital media be avoided by preschoolers younger than five years old, except for video chat. Limit screen time to one hour of high-quality content per day for elementary school children aged 5-9. To balance screen time and other activities, limit tweens to 2 hours per day.
Set some reasonable limits to help kids learn how to regulate their technology usage. Schedules and timers can reinforce the parameters. Model healthy tech habits for yourself.
2. Check devices regularly.
All families must implement this. Before you give your child the device, let them know that it will be checked weekly. This can be outlined in an agreement. As long as your children know that there will be limits, they will be safe from strangers online. Search through all social media, texts, DMs, and search histories.
3. Promote Healthy Digital Media Use
Screen time is not the same for everyone. Encourage healthy media habits when kids use their devices. Curate educational content, such as shows and apps. Play games and watch videos together. Ask questions and discuss what you see. Encourage them to use creative tools such as drawing apps or digital cameras.
Use parental controls to restrict access to inappropriate material. Monitor your social media usage and encourage kindness online. Teach children how to avoid false information and evaluate sources of information online. Online privacy and security are important topics to discuss. Focus on meaningful and enriching technology use.
4. Encourage Offline Activity
Include plenty of activities that are free from technology in your child’s daily schedule to stimulate their growth. Sports, outdoor activities, time spent with friends, reading, and board games are all excellent options. Consider hobbies such as music, art or crafts that do not involve staring at screens.
Minimize background TV and device usage as much as possible during family meals, playtime and other times. Set aside tech-free areas, such as the dining table. Online activities are important, but they shouldn’t completely replace offline activities.
5. Make dinner time a no-phone zone.
Keep all electronic devices out of view and out of mind. This will promote conversation and create some much-needed connection. Parents need to set an example, but you’ll be surprised at what your children will say and how meaningful the conversations can be when you disconnect.
6. Encourage Physical Activity to Promote Healthy Tech Habits
Physical activity should balance out screen time in your child’s schedule. According to WHO guidelines, kids aged 5-17 should get at least 60 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous exercise each day. Outdoor active play is great, as well as organized sports and family activities like hiking, cycling and swimming.
Break up extended sitting with movement breaks. Have kids help with active chores around the house. Limit passive video watching and mobile gaming, swapping some of this sedentary time for getting their bodies moving. Promoting physical literacy builds lifelong healthy habits.
7. Establishing healthy sleep habits
In today’s hyperconnected society, sleep quality is an important concern. The blue light emitted by screens disrupts the production of melatonin. This disrupts the hormone that regulates sleep-wake cycles. The prolonged use of digital devices before bedtime can cause difficulty in falling asleep, and even result in restless nights. This can lead to health problems ranging from impaired cognitive abilities to a weakened immune system. To ensure healthy sleep and overall well-being, it is important to set boundaries around technology.
It’s impossible to deny the positive effects of technology, despite its negative side effects, and here are some reasons why it has both positive and negative sides.
What are the positive aspects of using technology?
Parents who only think in terms of risk may not realize the possibilities that media offers children. They include:
- Meaningful and educational storytelling. Storytelling is a powerful tool for children to learn. TV shows and movies can help them see the world from the characters’ perspective, allowing them to expand their worldview and build empathy. Media that is well-designed can spark conversation and be a great way to connect parents and their children, especially if they watch movies or shows together. Consider the shows or movies that you enjoyed as a kid and share them with your children. Here is a list of good movies for Movie Night.
- Connecting with family and friends far away. Video chats can be a great way to help your child develop stronger connections with people who are far away. Video chats may include reading jokes, tea parties, and books.
- Activities like creating videos, learning math or science, or learning how to code. There are many screen-based education programs for elementary-school-aged kids that can be introduced by the school. Kids who are involved in the production of media or tech will have a better understanding of what’s good and what’s not.
- “Me time” for parents. In interviews, parents revealed how exhausting and stressful it can be raising children. They also said that brief media-filled moments can help parents recharge and feel more in control of their parenting. You can use a positive and planned screen time as a tool to help you focus on the things that make your life balanced. Your child will feel more comfortable if you offer screens at predictable times.
What are the technology’s negative side?
Most people cannot imagine their lives without technology. Many of us rely on digital devices to do our daily work and activities. It can be difficult to see the negative effects.
Technology can also affect our health, causing a decline in vision and posture. People who spend a lot of time on computers may be affected.
We spend a lot of time sitting when we use our devices. Sedentary living increases the risk for many diseases and conditions. The World Health Organization states that they include diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
- Privacy is being compromised: Most things in the digital world are shared electronically. Privacy could be a major concern. Many people use social media to stay in touch with friends and family, and track global events. Social media can lead to privacy issues. Often, users are required to share information they wouldn’t otherwise.
- Overuse of technology: A technology overload can cause problems for several reasons. We can become dependent on technology to perform the most basic of tasks, and end up unable to complete them ourselves. It is especially evident when it comes to skills such as navigating on the road with maps. Slow cookers and vacuum cleaners are taking over the more basic tasks at home like cleaning and cooking.
- Technology Addiction: Addiction problems can be caused by excessive use of technology. The addiction to technology can come in many different forms. This can manifest at home as excessive use of social media, shopping online, computer work, or gaming. Technology addiction can cause intense emotional and mental issues. This includes depression, anxiety, and loss of enjoyment from other sources. It may even lead to placing technology above their physical security.
Conclusion
Adopting to healthy tech habits in your family is vital to thrive in the digital world today. You can achieve a balance in your screen time by setting boundaries, taking regular breaks. Prioritize healthy tech habits Make sure your technology supports your goals, and improves your well-being.
These strategies will help you navigate the digital world with mindfulness and maximize your technology, while still maintaining a healthy life balance.
