Super Mom Forum: The Advantages and Disadvantages of Technology in Children

Super Mom Forum

Technology has become a part of our daily lives. Everybody uses technology one way or the other including small children. Technology is not limited to just TV and smart phones or tablets. There are also the gaming consoles, handheld gaming devices, radio, music consoles, navigators in our cars and many many more. All these made our lives so much easier and communication so much faster



In a recent forum I attended called Super Mom Forum, organized by Little Explorers Dubai and Key Nursery in coordination with Dubai Tourism and Majid Al Futtaim, the speaker and psychologist Celine Chahine gave an insightful talk about technology, its advantages and disadvantages to our children and I'm glad I attended it. Knowing the harm it can bring to my children, it only strengthen my desire to keep guiding my kids in the use of technology.




It is very interesting and relevant topic these days because everybody has access to technology even kids as young as two. Even if parents admit it or not, many resort to technology to pacify their children at some point. I admit I am no exception but one thing I remember the speaker said, "as long as the use of technology is monitored and guided, we have nothing to worry about our kids."



Some of the advantages of technology discussed were fun time, development of fine motor skills, exposure to the world and parents peace of mind.


On the other hand, the disadvantages were sedentary life, obesity, sleeping disorder, physical disorder including attention disorder, less social interaction, poor reading and writing skills.


Then there's the worst part, the aggressiveness and the addiction which are hard to reverse and might need rehabilitation of the child and full coordination and engagement from the parents.

I never want my children to reach that point and I don't think they will.

Moderation, guidance and monitoring is the key.

Let the kids discover other things to do. Take them out to the park or engage them in sports activities.

In our home, Ferald and I has set the rules. (1) they can only use gadgets for an hour  per day and (2) they can only use tablets or phones when homework is done and when they finished their assigned household chores, things like that. We have to constantly remind them to do first what they have to to do before they can sit and watch or play whatever on TV or video channels. During weekends, we try to engage the kids with other activities with minimal screen time. Last weekend, I lured my little boy to helping me in many household work and he enjoyed a lot, by the time he wants to use the tablet, he was too sleepy to hold it. (insert evil laugh here). The sister was at her classmates house practicing their dance moves for their dance class. (happy face)

Moms and dads too are welcome to join. Super Mom Forum is a regular event every last Friday of every month to be held at Little Explorers Dubai - Mirdif City Center. There will be different speakers and different topics to be shared and discussed. For more details check out their website here.

About Little Explorers

Little Explorers is an exciting mix of education and entertainment for children from two to seven, with a focus on learning and acquiring skills in a fun, safe environment.

Organized in five fun-filled distinct zones, Little Explorers offers a fascinating, varied and unique experience, allowing children to:

Build their individual and social identity
Define their spatial and time-related reference points
Enhance their thought processes and stimulate their quest for knowledge
Develop their first scientific and technical experiments
Foster cognitive maturing and to exercise the body (specially designed for non-reading visitors)


I will leave you with some of the photos of my children inside Little Explorers Dubai 









My Yellow Bells

Carla is a lifestyle blogger based in Dubai who's thankful to call this ever-evolving city her second home. The pages of this blog are filled with stories about her expat life in the sandpit. It features dining and travel adventures in and around the city and beyond. It also features food recipes, parenting tips, and fashion style.

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Cheers
Carla

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