Rise of technology

I was watching an ad on YouTube with my kids recently and it got my attention. The ad was about a gadget watch that asked a kid to do chores within a set time limit. The kid’s parent set it in advance, then the kid marked the action before going to the next one. Meanwhile, the parent tracked the child on his phone.

The child brushes his teeth and the mother, while sitting on the couch in the living room, checks to see if the chores are being done. The related videos that came along were similar, like a mini robot that talks and entertains the child all the time and a bottle of water that helps the parent track the amount of water the child drank. I don’t know why I found it weird. Modern or strange?

It might be a great tool to make children responsible or entertained, but my personal opinion is that we as humans can replace all these gadgets. I am sure that there will be a lot more gadgets aiming for children that parents will spend a lot on in order to keep their little ones engaged.

As mothers, we are usually the ones waking up our children, asking them to brush their teeth, to take a bath, go to school and do other daily activities. Can a cute looking machine replace all this? Even if it could have, why would we allow it? We can go and check in the washroom if our child has taken her bath rather than sit comfortably on the couch to check if she has ticked ‘bath’ on a checklist.

A robot replacing your time with your own child? Scary!

I believe that it’s always better to tell your child the benefits of drinking water and force him to do so than to buy an ebottle.

What can too much involvement in these ‘advancements’ do to us?

Reduces our intelligence.
Numbs the growing brain of our children
‍‍‍ Cause loss of interaction between children and parents
Cause health issues
Cause depression and anxiety
And the list goes on …

I don’t suffer from techno phobia nor am I a book worm. I allow my kids to watch television and play games sometimes for hours. However, I am worried about how everything a parent does gets replaced by machines and how children are forced to be adults before age.

Yes, it is necessary to make kids responsible, and I strongly agree that we should involve them in house chores. But I keep in mind they are still growing. Children should be set free to be children. They should be allowed to discover their own interests and hobbies and given their own time to grow, as each child is unique.

It’s ok for kids to get bored sometimes. It’s totally fine to let them play on their own and for them to sometimes feel low. We try to keep them so engaged that their mind doesn’t get time to wonder. We keep them away from the realities of life and they grow up to be weak human beings.

Let us help them evolve, grow with age and spring out with firm beautiful flowers.

Key points

Think about how you as a child would have liked to be treated in each situation.
Amazing things happen with hugging children, especially disturbed children.
Talk clearly to your children about evil things happening in the internet world; ask them to be cautious.
‍‍Make sure your talks are age-appropriate.
There’s no harm in promising a gift for the hard work kids do, but they should be aware that they are helping as they are part of the family.
Keep an eye on what your children watch, hear or play with, no matter which device they use. If you find something wrong, advice lovingly.
Activity charts and star stickers are always a great encouragement for little ones.
‍ Technology is something we parents did not get in our generation, so make the most of it now, but WISELY.
Be an example by using your life experiences to pass on the message.
Childhood is a very short period, enjoy it before your child reaches adolescence. Never allow anyone or anything to replace your presence.