Introduction

Do you remember the first time your toddler tapped his little fingers on the smartphone screen and was delighted to see the screen react? We live in an age where children learn how to unlock a tablet before they can fully speak. This generation is the generation of "digital children" or "digital babies"; The natives of the world of technology.

For parents today, this is both exciting and scary. On the one hand, there is a world of education and entertainment available to children, and on the other, there are concerns about screen addiction, inappropriate content, and reduced physical activity. How can we navigate this narrow edge? In this article, we examine the phenomenon of the digital child and provide practical solutions to create a balance between the real and virtual worlds.

A digital child is a generation that has been surrounded by digital technologies such as the Internet, smartphones, tablets and social media since birth. For these children, technology is not a side tool, but an integral part of their living environment and how they interact with the world.

Here is the main difference: we "learn" the technology, but they "grow" with the technology.

blade Two edges of technology: advantages and disadvantages

1. Interactive learning: High-quality educational apps can teach math, language, and science concepts in a more engaging way than traditional books.

2. Develop digital skills: Early exposure to technology prepares them for a future where everything is digital.

3. Communications: Video calls help children connect emotionally with grandparents and extended family.

1. ASleep disturbance: The blue light emitted from screens can seriously disrupt a child's sleep cycle.

2. Decreasing physical activity and obesity: More time on the tablet means less time to run and play outdoors open.

3. Concentration and attention problems: Rapidly changing images in digital content can reduce children's attention span in the real world.

4. Inappropriate Content and Online Dangers: Unsupervised, children may be exposed to violent or age-inappropriate content.

Parents playing an educational game with their digital child

Accepting technology as a part of life is inevitable. Our goal is not "removal", but "intelligent management".

1. Quality is more important than quantity

Instead of focusing only on the duration of use (say, just one hour a day), focus on the "what". An hour of playing with an interactive educational application where a child solves a problem is much better than half an hour of passively watching contentless YouTube videos.

• Practical tip: Check apps before installing. Do they have ads? Are they educational?

2. Create “tech-free” zones and times

Set clear boundaries.

• Dinner table rule: No one (not even parents) has the right to bring a phone to the dinner table.

• The bedroom rule: Tablets and phones should be charged outside the child's bedroom at night so as not to disturb his sleep.

3. Be a good role model yourself

Children look at our behavior more than they listen to what we say. If you yourself are constantly on the phone, you cannot expect your child to read.

• Challenge for parents: Try to leave your phone in another room when you play with your child.

Instead of just being the police and controlling time, enter their digital world.

• Play video games with them.

• Ask questions about what they're watching.

• When you use technology together, make it a shared and positive experience.

Raising a healthy digital child is a new challenge that previous generations did not face. There is no single prescription for all families. The key to success is to find a balance where technology serves as a powerful tool for a child's development, not a substitute for real-life experiences, physical play, and warm parental hugs.

Remember, the best app for your child is still time spent with you.

The digital child

About the movie

Based on the experience of several families, this documentary examines the consequences of excessive use of images and digital content from a scientific, human and experimental angle. In the narrative of the families, the occurrence of worrying changes in the behavior of young children becomes an incentive to start the path of treatment, counseling and seeking professional help. In cooperation with Tehran Center for Autism, produced by Isatis Desert Film Institute