How many adults stay up at night on social network sites catching
up on your day? How many adults text before bed catching up with their
friends and family? Do you find that this affects your sleep? I know
from personal experience if I stay up and do these things right before
bedtime, I cannot fall asleep. My brain pistons are firing and I cannot
quiet my thoughts. I have learned not to do this. I have a friend in
another state-3 hour differential, and we talk infrequently, so I talk
to her when I can and it is chatting with her on Facebook late at night
(my time). Then, I have problems falling asleep. I end up staying up and
reading on my Nook. Is this a culprit also? I have not found it a
problem-only when I want to finish the book to find out what happens.
Then I feel like a little girl with the flashlight on underneath my
covers reading when I am supposed to be sleeping.
This is a serious problem. The children and teenagers find us doing this and they either copy us or just do it to be in connection with their friends-an extension of their day at school to talk to their friends when they do not have time to talk to them outside of lunch or after class. It can easily be used as a babysitter for younger kids, but what are we teaching them? And, what kind of trouble are they getting in when we are not supervising sites they are on?
With the new Techno world we are facing we now have to be mindful of these things and not only educate ourselves, but educate our children appropriate use of such devices. Children will use social media and say things that they only think they are telling friends. They are not aware they are allowing the entire world to read their work and that the ramifications of what they say-how it will affect them or how it will affect others. Children and adolescents have not developed higher abstract thinking that adults have developed to think ahead and realize the consequences their actions may cause.
We as parents and adults can set good examples for our kids. One example is maybe to have every other day a plugged in day. On the plugged in day, children have an hour to be on the internet, web-based games, video games, telephone texting, and limited TV. On the off day there is no use of electronics belonging to this Techno world. You plan game night, story time, going to the library, etc. Another example is setting specific hours when electronic media can be used and when they cannot be used. This will eliminate the late night hours on electronic media that interfere with sleep. Will the children and adolescents be angry when you set these limits? Yes, they will be. Do not give in. When they see you mean business, they will stop fighting. Yes, you may be the electronic media police, but it will be for a good reason. That means, you will have to set the example. One way is to have all electronic media out of the bedrooms and left only in the family area. That is where it can be used. I had one mom who took her adolescent's cell phone and iPod at 9 pm at night and she did not get it until the next morning.
These are only some things to think about. We have to prepare ourselves for the new Techno world that we now live in and read up on it as much as we can. What is good for our children and adolescents? We need to know where they are and who they are with on electronic media. I had one client on-line on play station playing a game with gamers. He got into a chat room with who he thought was a 12-year-old girl. He gave out identifying information and was texting her on the phone. When his mom looked into it, it happened to be an adult male from another country.
Dangers abound and we need to be aware of what is out there on the electronic media as well as how much we allow our children and adolescents to utilize these outside Techno devices. I cannot implore enough-education, education, education. There are now You-Tube Videos on what can go wrong with Techno media. Watch them, have your kids watch them. Educate them on the dangers of too much electronic media. Do not get caught with your pants down.
This is a serious problem. The children and teenagers find us doing this and they either copy us or just do it to be in connection with their friends-an extension of their day at school to talk to their friends when they do not have time to talk to them outside of lunch or after class. It can easily be used as a babysitter for younger kids, but what are we teaching them? And, what kind of trouble are they getting in when we are not supervising sites they are on?
With the new Techno world we are facing we now have to be mindful of these things and not only educate ourselves, but educate our children appropriate use of such devices. Children will use social media and say things that they only think they are telling friends. They are not aware they are allowing the entire world to read their work and that the ramifications of what they say-how it will affect them or how it will affect others. Children and adolescents have not developed higher abstract thinking that adults have developed to think ahead and realize the consequences their actions may cause.
We as parents and adults can set good examples for our kids. One example is maybe to have every other day a plugged in day. On the plugged in day, children have an hour to be on the internet, web-based games, video games, telephone texting, and limited TV. On the off day there is no use of electronics belonging to this Techno world. You plan game night, story time, going to the library, etc. Another example is setting specific hours when electronic media can be used and when they cannot be used. This will eliminate the late night hours on electronic media that interfere with sleep. Will the children and adolescents be angry when you set these limits? Yes, they will be. Do not give in. When they see you mean business, they will stop fighting. Yes, you may be the electronic media police, but it will be for a good reason. That means, you will have to set the example. One way is to have all electronic media out of the bedrooms and left only in the family area. That is where it can be used. I had one mom who took her adolescent's cell phone and iPod at 9 pm at night and she did not get it until the next morning.
These are only some things to think about. We have to prepare ourselves for the new Techno world that we now live in and read up on it as much as we can. What is good for our children and adolescents? We need to know where they are and who they are with on electronic media. I had one client on-line on play station playing a game with gamers. He got into a chat room with who he thought was a 12-year-old girl. He gave out identifying information and was texting her on the phone. When his mom looked into it, it happened to be an adult male from another country.
Dangers abound and we need to be aware of what is out there on the electronic media as well as how much we allow our children and adolescents to utilize these outside Techno devices. I cannot implore enough-education, education, education. There are now You-Tube Videos on what can go wrong with Techno media. Watch them, have your kids watch them. Educate them on the dangers of too much electronic media. Do not get caught with your pants down.
Carolyn L. Nelson is a licensed clinical social worker who has been in the field over 20 years. She writes for her Blog at http://blog.therapistscornerblog.com
She also can be reached at her website at http://www.therapistscornerblog.com
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She also can be reached at her website at http://www.therapistscornerblog.com
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