*
How Does Digital Citizenship Look Like?
Our life is a blend of both online and offline lives with massive overlap between them. Online, there are an endless range of apps, notifications and content vying for our attention. Versus, the unending list of chores that beckon from all directions in the real world. The result, we are developing habits of mindless consumption.
There is no end to the internet, unless we physically take ourselves off of it. And if we’re not intentional about our device time, we are left with very little time to foster deep, meaningful relationships. The space for our private thoughts has also become scarce to non-existent.
*
Children must know that although our love for them is limitless, it also comes with some rules. One of the best family time fun activities can be to sit down together and involve the kids in writing a family phone contract. Everyone must play by the same rule book after all.
It is important for us to remember as parents and adults that our digital devices can come with clear and consistent boundaries and rules. It is OK to have tech free zones in the house, so we feel like we have a better handle on our devices. It is all about digital citizenship and doing the right thing with our device etiquette.
Kids have so many questions, why should I not keep my phone near me? What will happen if I use my phone too much?” Parents cannot simply say, “Do as we say, and not as we do?” We just can’t get away with that.
*
Technology – Things I Can Control And Things I Cannot:
Technology – Things I Can Control And Things I Cannot
*
All these questions must be answered while explaining the impact of too much of consumption, the effects of radiation on the body and the disruptive effects of tech on melatonin (our sleep hormone) and our sleep.
We must help children understand that because the internet never ends, we’ve to put boundaries on it. We must make one another in the house accountable for more outdoor time, and find out more offline activities to involve ourselves in. We must create the environment around us so that it decreases temptations to reach out to our devices often. Out of sight is truly out of mind when it comes to our technology.
*
Working parents are struggling to not be on the computer all the time. So, we end up either being too lax or overtly controlling with children’s tech access. But it helps to encourage them to take tech breaks as rewards. Ask them often, why consume, when we can use our unlimited creativity and imagination to create for the world to see.
The average American picks up their phone atleast 151 times a day. So, it is important for parents to also resist the urge to check their phones for emails or news all the time. Once you’ve promised yourself to wind down, and connect with family, it is crucial to keep up with your end of the bargain. After all, we must model the behavior we want to see in our children.
*
Write Your Family’s Phone Contract:
Find out a sample from HERE.
*
California to Hold Social Media Responsible for Harm to Children:
* * *
About The Article Author:
Our mission with FutureSTRONG Academy – to grow children who respect themselves, their time and their capabilities in a world where distractions are just a click or a swipe away.
I see myself as an advocate for bringing social, emotional and character development to families, schools and communities. I never want to let this idea out of my sight – Our children are not just GPAs. I’m a Writer and a Certified Master Coach in NLP and CBT. Until 2017, I was also a Big Data Scientist. In December of 2044, I hope to win the Nobel. Namasté.
Write to me or call me. Tell me what support from me looks like.
Rachana Nadella-Somayajula,
Program Director & Essential Life Skills Coach for Kids and Busy Parents
The Digital Literacy Project: Disrupting humanity’s technology addiction habits one truth at a time.
Truth About Technology – A Digital Literacy Project
Parents, When It Comes To Getting Your Way, Words Matter
* If it was upto our children, they would eat pizza for breakfast, play with the water hose all afternoon and eat cookies and milk for dinner. They won't compare themselves to anyone and they don't worry about anyone judging them. That's how simple their...
What Is Robotics And How To Choose A Great Beginner’s Class For Your Child
* What Is Robotics? Robotics for kids is a hands-on and fun way for kids to learn STEM concepts by letting them make their robots move, turn and use sensors. Robotics teaches kids how to program robots and machines to be intelligent and perform a number of...
Swatting Is Serious And How Can We Protect Ourselves And Our Communities From It
* What Is Swatting: Swatting is the action or practice of making a prank call to emergency services in an attempt to bring about the dispatch of a large number of armed police officers to a particular address. “Swatting” is defined as a false report of an...
Dr. Dan Siegel – The Brilliant Coach For 21st Century Parenting
* The 4 S's of Parenting: Seen, Soothe, Safety, all three lead to the 4th S which is Security. Only if these 4 Ss are there, children can do a better job of making sense of the world around them. Research on child development says that one of the very best...
Teaching A Machine How To Think Is A Remarkable Skill. It’s Called Coding.
* What is CODING? • Code is the language of technology.• Code is what runs apps.• Code is what sent the Curiosity Rover to Mars.• Code is what's inside drones that sprayed Disinfectant on streets that were too dangerous for humans to walk around during Covid....
How Technology Brings Stressors Into Our Lives
* How Stress Shows Up: Sometimes stress doesn't disappear when you work on your adult coloring books or indulge in a one hour massage session. Joy only seems to last as long as that fun activity did. Stress is complicated, so the solutions must be elaborate and...
What Does Social Media Have To Do With Eating Disorders? Let’s Find Out.
* What's Happening In The World Of Beauty? Thinspo is a word. Did you know its existence? Thinspo is an abbreviation for thinspiration. Let's look at the trends. Our beauty standards have gone global, and anyone we see on the internet with the "perfect body"...
How To Be A Mindful Parent
* What Are We Doing When We Are Mindful? Let us find out how we know we're being mindful at any given time. We are doing these below things if we're being in the moment. • Putting the focus on us not on external things• Creating distance and objectivity•...
The Power Of Play And What Research Suggests About Unstructured Exploration By Kids
* Unstructured Play Time: Please note that the title doesn't say unsupervised, it only says unstructured. When we allow ourselves to be spontaneous or creative, playfully enjoying novel experiences, we help make new connections in the brain. It's the same with...
What Is Digital Overwhelm And How To Identify It
* Just 10 years ago, overwhelm in the Real world looked like this: 1. It was the stack of unread books on our night stand.2. A pile of dirty laundry at the foot of our bed.3. A full kitchen sink and an empty dishwasher beckoning us to load it. Overwhelm in the...
Best Book Recommendations For Surviving And Thriving In The Digital Age
* The Man Vs. Machine Age: Digital Literacy: Irresistible: The Rise of Addictive Technology and the Business of Keeping Us Hooked By Adam Alter It’s Complicated: The Social Lives Of Networked Teens By Danah Boyd The Screen Strong Solution: How to Free Your...
Digital Transformation Of Public Education – A Civilian Discourse On Policy
* The Value Of Education: Education for life enables us to live from the heart and with enduring values. Education for life must help us 1. recognize our problems and mistakes and 2. create a plan to correct or mitigate them, so we never encounter the same...
How To Run Any Classroom
* Imagine this. You are a teacher and you have the attentive listening ears of little minds all around you. How much personal power does that garner for you? As a teacher you can run a classroom where students can learn how to learn about all the things that...
If Your Child Is Using Tiktok Or Snapchat, You Must Know About Sammy’s Law And Other Legislations
* Organization for Social Media Safety: Here's the story of how teens, social media and drugs collided in the online world resulting in absolute destruction. This is the story of Sammy. And here's what Sammy's mom wrote on her Facebook wall about her son. "As...
Digital Citizenship: What It Is, How To Learn It, And The Resources You Need
* Technological Literacy or Digital Citizenship is the wealth of knowledge that we all need in order to be good citizens of the digital age. We all have a playbook for how to live in the real world, and digital citizenship guidelines allow us to understand the...
14 Powerful Quotes From The Book, The Big Disconnect – Sustainable Family For The Digital Age
* Quotable Quotes From The Big Disconnect: Excerpts From the book, The Big Disconnect: Protecting Childhood and Family Relationships in the Digital Age By Catherine Steiner-Adair EdD. It's a powerful reminder to understand how to protect childhood and family...
A To Z About Tech Behavioral Disorders, Managing Addictions, And Their Impact On Relationships And Productivity
* Our digital landscape is changing day after day. And here are some urgent burning questions along with their answers. Please click below to learn more. 1) Why is Technology Addiction or Digital Addiction a problem at all? Can’t I have my hobby or interest? 2)...
Understanding Relationship Etiquette In A World Of Faceless Usernames And Two Dimensional Emojis
* How We Learnt FOMO: Listen, I have nothing against technology. I can turn on and off the lights in my house from 200 miles away if I need to. During the pandemic, we bought a new car without ever stepping out of the house. What’s more, I don't have to wait...
Questions, just ask!
Text or Call: 678.310.5025 | Email: info@futurestrongacademy.com
Bringing a Group? Email us for a special price!