We live in an era of technology where everybody has access to internet and television. But how much do they affect our children and what is their role in child development?

Unfortunately, children nowadays spend a lot of time in front of tv watching programs that are totally inappropriate for their age and stage of development. Specially designed programs contain verbal and physical violence that have a very negative effect over our children. They start having nightmares, fears, they become antisocial or even start copying the behavior they see and apply it on their colleagues.

Psychologists say that there is a very simple way to make a child get rid of these nightmares and fears without shutting down the TV or forbidding the child to watch such programs. The parents have a very important role in their children development and, in this situation, they are the ones who can save the day. It all resumes to talking to your child and explain him how the characters in a cartoon are drawn and that the blood or monsters they see are not real. Talking to your child is the key for him to have a healthy life from all aspects.

Another good way is to spend more time with your child instead of leaving him alone in front of the TV. It may sound harsh but spending more time with your child will help you bond and create a connection that is very beneficial for both of you. Try to have activities that involve your child as much as possible. It will probably be a mess in the kitchen after a cooking activity, but a child’s happiness has no price. Reading stories before bedtime or even trying to make up your own stories will develop your child’s imagination. Not to mention that will help him understand how the sequence of events works and how imagination has no limits.

When it comes to internet the things go even wilder. In each house there is a tablet or a laptop connected to internet and the children have access to it. Internet is even more dangerous than television as the information has no filter and by mistake the child may get to unwanted content. That is why Parent Control App has been developed. But how many parents actually use this app in order to protect their child? Visual violent content or inappropriate content for their age may affect children in ways that are very harmful for their development. In this environment the risks are bigger and the effects are on long term. It is way more difficult to take the child out of this virtual world once he is caught by its “wonders”.

Let’s not look only over the negative aspect of internet and television and see their advantages a well. Internet is one tool that has entered a lot in the teaching methods and helps children to learn things through visual and auditive ways. Connection to other schools and teaching methods is easier to be made. Children have to interact with this technological media as it is the future of this world. But the interaction is made in a controlled environment and with resources adequate for the children’s age.

There is a thin line between the real world and the virtual one and for children is very important to have a balance between the two. They have to learn that the virtual world is just a help for the development in the real one and that taking refuge in the virtual world is not beneficial for them.

So try to spend with your children as much time as possible and to explain to them in simple words why it is not ok to spend a lot of time in front of the TV or the tablet. Put in balance the benefits and the disadvantages of using in excess these two mediums and figure it out what is best for your children and their social development.