Parents could be overwhelmed with the continuous introduction of new gadgets in the market. Parenting experts, however, claim that while these devices are aimed to make life better for the family, they have advantages and disadvantages. Take for example Alexa, more popularly known as the artificial intelligence behind the Echo device of Amazon.
Alexa provides so much convenience for the household that kids are already starting to treat the AI like they would treat a human servant. Parenting expert Dr. Lisa Strohman said the parents' concern is understandable considering that the device is changing the children's communication style.
"What I see is a lot of kids who are already in somewhat of an entitled position becoming even more entitled," Strohman said, "[They are] more disconnected with the normal social rules are when we are connecting with other people."
The technology can be helpful but parents have to set limits such as setting a password so that kids can only use it with a parent's permission, according to AZ Family. Unless parents are able to achieve a balance in the use of these helpful devices, children can develop an attachment to these devices and this can prove unhealthy for them later on. This could also produce kids who will find it difficult to connect socially or develop relationships when they become adults.
Parents themselves have become so attached with gadgets that they have limited personal interaction with their children, as per PsychAlive. Majority of parents have become so distracted by their smartphones that they fail to establish communication with their children even during meal times. The more they check in online, the more they check out of their personal interaction with their kids.
There is no escaping the world of technology, according to PscyhCentral. However, parents should limit the time they spend with their phones and other devices and focus more on their children. After all, no parent would want a child to think that he or she has been replaced by a device.
