Tech Parents, Tech Kids
Technology has taken over every aspect of our life. The relationship between parents and children does not escape this statement. Tech parents have one more way to get closer to their kids. In addition, it is one of the most effective.
That children and young people love technology is nothing new. However, this does not usually occur in the elderly, who generally keep a little more distance from new trends.
There is a new ‘race’, that of tech parents, who seem to have found a common ground with their children, from which they can extract enormous benefits for their relationship. How does this brotherly bond occur in the 21st century?
Tech parents and new devices
It is clear that not all parents today are characterized by having a broad mastery of current technologies. However, the vast majority do.
In the first group, that of those who still do not understand too much, we can find people distrustful of these devices and their ability to understand them. They will probably give in to buy a smartphone, but they already have in mind that they will not be able to use it. With the help of your kids, you can use it for the basics and little else.
On the other hand, there are those who ignore – or at least pretend to do so – technological developments. Moreover, they probably lose sight of what their children do or do not do on the web or on social networks, not because of disinterest, but because of ignorance of the dangers that inhabit here.
At the other extreme, we can find those who do know the new trends in detail; and the best thing is that they know how to take advantage of them. These parents, who are usually dedicated to working with artifacts of this type, know how to deal with antivirus, applications and all kinds of software and hardware.
There is also a middle ground: that dad who has a state-of-the-art phone and knows how to use it. His children tend to like him, since he is able to answer them with memes and is always aware of what is happening on social networks.
Relationship between tech parents and their kids
Many times we have spoken of the enormous power of example over children. It is the strongest educational tool; If a parent behaves in a certain way, your child will surely take notice and, most likely, will also follow suit when faced with the same situation.
Something similar happens with technological parents, but not in all cases. We propose here two different situations:
Tech parents and tech kids
It is, perhaps, the most common equation today. Having a parent who understands and values the scope of technological devices is something that children value; much more if they can learn from him.
Technology is an unavoidable edge in the lives of today’s young people. True, it has its risks, but its benefits are immeasurable. These range from entertainment to educational, passing through the banal and ending in the workplace.
Therefore, the fact that a father can be inserted in this formula of life acquires a central importance.
It is not that children or young people will love their parents more for knowing how to use a computer, but that the contact will be closer because they know they are members of the same paradigm. They will feel, in a way, that they are going through the same conflicts.
Parents who share these interests tend to do more activities with their children. This includes playing video games, watching series or movies online, or attending technology conventions and events.
What about the children of non-tech parents?
However, there are also parents who are not interested or cannot grasp the uses of the new devices. The reasons for this aversion can be diverse: lack of interest, distrust, lack of knowledge, and so on.
This is not to say that your relationship with your children has no future; nor that he is failing in his mission as guardian of the little ones. Simply, their interests will be different.
The downside to this is that, in many cases, you will miss out on being able to share activities that millennial kids love. In addition, they will not be able to detect the risks and threats of the web.
But there is also a good side. In a world in which everything is virtualized and screens appear as a solution to everything, it is good for someone to ‘bring us down’ to the real world.
So these parents have the ability to get their children outdoors and teach them other skills. Cooking, fixing a bicycle, or building a home for your pet are examples of this.
Advice
If you intend to include yourself in the group of technological parents to be aware of the latest in this area, remember the following tips:
- Find out and read about the latest news.
- Understand their entertainments and try to get involved.
- Be attentive to social networks and the use that your children make of them.
- Bring technology into your life instead of complaining about ‘how the world is changing’.
In conclusion, the relationship between technological parents and technological children can be favored if a common point is found between their interests. In addition, a positive attitude of parents to these elements can further favor their adoption by their children.
However, this condition is not exclusive and other types of fraternal connections may occur. Technology has crept into our lives, but there are still fields where human contact is still vital; this will hardly ever change.
