3 Things Parents Must Know About Technology

Guest Post by:  Carole Smith

If you’re a parent, especially one who was more at home in the 70s and early 80s before technology became something that was not a geek thing, you’re probably not at home around the gadgets and gizmos that are an essential part of every teen and pre-teen’s life. For them, there is no life without technology; they wake up to it, breathe it, live it, and sleep it. And if you think that you are too old to have any use for technology and that you can live your life just fine without having to get your hands on a computer keyboard or try figuring out how to get that blasted iPhone to work for you, well, you have another think coming.

In this day and age, it’s not that easy to escape technology, especially if your kids are taking to it like ducks to water. You must know enough about it to at least:

·         Know what your children are using it for: Only when you know what the technology does will you be aware of what your kids are using their gadgets for. There are a host of ways they can be misused, so unless you are up to scratch in your technology, there’s no way you can monitor what your children are up to and if they’re going to get into trouble because of technology. When they know that you don’t know much about technology, it’s easy for them to lie to you and get away with it. They could be playing games on the Internet even while telling you that they’re doing research for their homework.

·         Keep them safe from the dangers that it poses: Technology can lure children who are not mature enough and who are emotionally unstable into traps that could have adverse consequences. Pedophiles could lurk in Internet chat rooms and entice your children into revealing their addresses or setting up clandestine meetings. Your kids could give out sensitive information that could be have financial repercussions if people steal your identity and use your credit card to perpetrate fraud. So unless you know how to install the right kind of protection for your children, you’re going to subject them to unnecessary harm.

·         Be able to decide what they really need and what is unnecessary: With all the gizmos that are flooding the market today, you need to know what your child really needs and what is excess when it comes to technology. Gadgets cost money, and unless you are able to decide what is really necessary for your child, you’re going to be spending most of your salary on technology.

So if you’re lagging in this discipline, it’s never too late to get up to speed; start today and wow your kids with your newfound passion for technology. 

 By-line:

This article is contributed by Carol Smith, who regularly writes on the topic of ultrasound tech schools. She invites your questions, comments at her email address: smithcarol.311@rediffmail.com