By Heather Mistretta
Years ago, parents often taught their children to never call a friend before 9 a.m. or after 9 p.m. But today, a phone call or knock on the door has evolved into a tweet, a text or post sometimes in the wee hours of the morning. As social media makes it possible to connect virtually to more people than ever before, it also widens the gap between face-to-face contact, thereby hurting social skills, making limits fuzzy and clouding children’s judgment as to what is appropriate and what it not.
One in three parents said they have had concerns or questions about their child’s technology use in the last year, according to a recent study by the Pew Research Center.
With an estimated 93 percent of children now using technology, whether it is a cell phone, video game, television or computer, the concern is real as is the need to unplug often and recharge in more holistic ways.
Rather than setting strict, sometimes argument-causing limits all the time, a better idea may be to offer fun, healthy and educational alternatives that are right in your neighborhoods.
“We get them away from technology by being outdoors and working with natural materials,” said Kathleen Berkowitz, director of A Child’s Place, a preschool in Lincroft that is dedicated to fostering curiosity, responsibility and a love of learning. “Children need a balanced learning experience. They need to explore in real, tactile ways.”
In addition to activities like collecting leaves and pinecones, watching birds, going for walks, painting outside and growing vegetables in the school’s backyard, Berkowitz said her school provides the opportunity for her students to create a mud hole each June where children are able to create rivers and a pit by adding water to a sandpit.
“They really look forward to it, and they claim ownership to. It’s so empowering for them,” she added.
A Child’s Place, located Lincroft, holds monthly roundtables for parents, where these concerns toward social media can be addressed. There is also a puppetry program, a parent book club, non-competitive sports and a supervised in ground swimming pool.
According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, kids spend more than seven and a half hours each day using different forms of technology.
It has been proven that technology can be beneficial by developing technical skills, facilitating social interaction and providing conduits for children to connect with the community by volunteering or becoming more aware. However, excessive use can lead to attention problems, school difficulties, sleep and eating disorders, and obesity.
One more solution to getting kids unplugged can be found at the Monmouth Boat Club, a fixture in Red Bank for more than 50 years.
“You have to rely on yourself and the skills they teach you, not Google or an app,” said Thomas LePage, who volunteers for the organization as its junior supervisor. “You also learn to be a team member and problem solve, and it challenges you to start something new.”
The club offers 7-8-week sailing programs for different levels starting in June. Just last year the club began offering a one-week course for beginners in either the morning or afternoon.
“They are put in a situation that they may have never experienced. They learn to put the boat together and gain skills interacting with others including the instructors,” added LePage who served with the Coast Guard for 10 years in active duty and 13 years as a reservist before deciding to volunteer at the club.
Alternatives are out there, and the resources connecting you and your child to them are plentiful throughout Monmouth County.
But whether you call it a technology detox, a textcation, or a simple unplugging, the need to disconnect from technology on a regular basis is vital to raising healthy, inquisitive and resourceful children. You’ll probably be happy you did. Technology is definitely here to stay, and new innovations will continue to seep into our markets, but how we deal with them is what is important.
