Digital Childhood: Do parents care too much, or not at all?

In an era when children are so attached to their mobile devices, parents seemingly ‘neglect’
the fact that it is fundamental for children to be active, argues Indira Amalia.

Childhood is the early stage of life when

children play, observe, and learn. For me,
this was done by going outside and hang
out with friends from morning to evening.
My parents sometimes scold me for
coming home late, but the fun experience
I had with my friends was worth it. They
even encouraged me to play outside as
long as I remember my curfew.
Modern Parenting: Is the advance of technology our scapegoat?
From smartphone addiction to anxiety, technology might seem like the perfect culprit for
every issues regarding children. However, Indira Amalia argues that parents should start
evaluating their approaches.
Nowadays, it is rare to see children
roaming around the neighbourhood.
Parents have grown to be more protective
over their children, demanding a constant
supervision. I wonder if this is related to
the advance of technology.
Take the recent news about the
kidnapping of a 12-year-old boy in Gold
Coast for example. It is as if the media is
competing over who can report the news
in most detail. Across different platforms
and channels, the same horrifying story
about the hopeless boy getting abducted
is circling around to haunt parents.
Of course, this applied to other crime-
related news. Even ones that occurred
outside the border of our nation, like the
terrifying news regarding church bombing
conducted by a family of young children in
Indonesia.
In reality, Australia is still among the
safest country in the world. The difference
is that the advance in technology has
made us more vulnerable to adverse
news.
However, this should not be a reason for
parents to stop their kids for playing
outside.
Once we tell kids to stay home, they are
forced to turn to their gadgets instead.
And then parents would complain: “why
are you always on your phone?”
The irony.
While it is important to protect children
from any harm, it is also vital to note that
some lessons in life can only be obtained
through experience.
Surely the experience attained from
playing games and watching videos all day
cannot compare to the scrapes and
bruises they get from running around with
their friends.
Children should be able to play in the vast
world ahead of them. A world that would
one day belong to them. It’s full of
unpredictability and wonders.
Not letting kids to explore the world
outside of their home would mean that
we’re limiting their playground, thus
limiting their activities and their learning.
Don’t get me started on the how parents
are also setting poor examples on using
mobile devices.
I remember walking through the crowded
food court of my local mall and seeing a
mother looking ever-so-busy on her
phone. Meanwhile, her two little kids
were arguing in loud, crying voices.
She didn’t seem to care.
While I understand that she might
actually be busy – not just aimlessly
scrolling through social media – this action
still appears unreasonable.
Why would a parent choose their mobile
devices rather than their children?
Kids observe what their parents are doing.
By using too much of our mobile devices
in front of children, we let them
comprehend that these devices are
essential, sometimes even more than
physical communication and interaction.

This should be a reflection of where we

are up to in this digital age.

In fact, 60% of adults in a research

conducted in the US blame parents for
children’s addiction smartphones.

But, okay. We get it, parents are

becoming more protective. So, what?

Well, this might be hard to believe, but

psychologist have mentioned that
overprotective parents have the tendency
to raise kids with mental health issues like
depression and anxiety.

Moreover, we can't let the digital world

become a barrier between us and our
kids. Communication will always be
essential, and so is physical activities for
children.

This is a call for parents to loosen up a

little bit and to have faith on their
children.

While it might be true that we overprotect

children due to the advance of technology
and media, we need to step back and
realise that we are all a part of that
development.

Children should have the liberty of a free

bird, soaring through the sky. Sure, there’s
always a risk for them to get shot down.
But never letting kids to be free means
that they will never learn how to fly on
their own.

Playing mud in the paddy field, cycling to a
nearby river, hide-and-seek, hopscotch,
and T-ball. The images are still vivid in my
mind as if it was only yesterday. As if this
morning when I woke up, I’d hear my
friends’ calling, “Let’s go out and play!”
Truly, a great childhood should be the one
that left the best impression.
Flash forward to today, what we call the
‘Digital Age’, childhood is surely different
now. We are faced to the reality that
children spend most of their time playing
on gadgets rather than engaging in more
physical activities or interacting with other
people.
Some parents might argue that this lets
them to have better control over their
children if they stay home all the time.
First of all, children should have the liberty
of a free bird. Sure, it is important to
protect them from harms that might befall
them when they go outside. However,
some lessons in life can only be obtained
through experience. The experience that
children attain from playing games and
watching videos all day cannot compare
to scrapes and bruises they get from
running around with their friends.
I recently came across the term
‘helicopter parenting’, which perfectly
describe the way some parents raise their
kids. They would make sure that they
have control over the environment where
the child is growing up.
The thing is, the world outside their house
is vast and full of unpredictability. On the
other hand, it is easier to control what
children can or cannot access when they
use their gadgets.
Moreover, helicopter parenting can result
in anxiety and the inability of children to
navigate through the world once they
grow up.
Statistics have also shown that the rate of
obesity among children is now ten times
more than in 1945. It can be predicted
that this is the result of inactivity. So why
do parents still let their children have
their eyes glued screens?
And that’s not all.
It cannot be denied that parents are busy.
They come home exhausted and ready to
lay down to rest. Maybe catch up on the
news. Or scroll through Facebook.
So, what happens when their children ask
if they can play together?
Chances are that parents will reject the
child’s invitation, sometimes even with
the addition of giving them iPad. Now the
quality time that could be spent by
interacting with each other is filled with
silence.
Yes, parents work hard to support their
children’s wellbeing. But when they
overlook the fact that the children need to
interact with them, can we really agree to
it?
The phenomenon of parents overusing
digital devices in front of their kids is
nothing rare. In cafés, restaurant, even
park, parents have the tendency to go on
their phones instead of engaging in a
conversation with their children.
Ironically, in public places, what do
parents do on their phone? Upload a
picture of their kids with #sharedmoments
or #instakids.
While sharing pictures of parenthood may
seem harmless, it can raise unwanted
attentions from dangerous people like
paedophilia.

Since childhood essentially shapes people

as they grow up, it should be of our
concern if kids nowadays will grow up to
even further buried under technologies.

So, how can we change it? Primarily,

parents should not use their phones when
there are children around them. Instead,
they should interact with their kids.

Additionally, parents should encourage

their children to go outside and play. Kids
should also not be given their personal
gadgets until they start high school. Lastly,
avoid oversharing children’s precious
moments to public.

It is essential that children get the

childhood they deserve; filled with
unforgettable memories that never fails to
arouse a smile on their face as they recall
it. Parents should agree that this kind of
childhood is not one obtained from
playing games all day.