Parenting In A Digital World: How Technology Has Changed Parenting Over The Years

Technology has gone so far in just a couple of decades. What seemed an impossibility back then are now starting to become a reality because of science.

The wonders of technology have greatly affected our lives and made it a lot more convenient. It has even seeped its way into the way we raise our children today. We have certain advantages that parents from generations before never had. However, we’re also bugged by certain disadvantages that they wouldn’t want to have anything to do with.

Some Ways that Technology Has Changed the Way We Do Parenting Today

1. Social media has put a lot of pressure on parents to be “perfect” parents.

Social media is one of the greatest things that technology has given us as it allowed us to make significant connections to friends old and new. It has made the world a little bit closer and tighter in ways that the internet could not before.

However, the downside to this is that it has been made to showcase perfection in all things, including the way people do parenting, which can put a lot of unnecessary pressure and burden on normal imperfect human beings. From getting the first baby scans to child delivery to proper nutrition, parents seem to always post about the most ideal and fun things of parenting which is only half the picture because no one wants to post the ugly and challenging side of parenting.

2. Parents are found to second-guess themselves because of social media.

Because of the way social media is used to portray the ideal ways people should do things, most parents nowadays find themselves second-guessing the things they do as parents. In a lot of ways, parents doubt if they’re doing the right thing. Typically, something like this is good because it keeps you on your toes to want to do right by your children.

But somehow, a lot of parents, especially the younger ones, feel like if they post something related to their children, they may get called out and bashed. It’s hard enough to be an imperfect parent, you don’t really need people hating on you just because you do things slightly differently from others.

One of social media’s redeeming qualities, however, is how it has given parents a larger community to tap into for information, guidance, advice, support, and encouragement. We all need the help we can get, even if it’s virtual help.

3. Parents can now be involved in every aspect of their kids’ lives.

Technology has somehow allowed parents of this generation to be more involved in their children’s lives. A couple of decades ago, a lot of parents just focused on work to provide for their families, especially dads. But thanks to modern tech, you can now, somehow, get more involved with your children’s affairs.

It allows you to monitor your kids’ grades online or talk to them every night before going to bed even if you’re away from home. It’s also easier to capture wonderful and memorable moments today with them compared to a couple of decades ago.

4. It’s a lot easier to keep track of your children’s movement and whereabouts now.

One of every parent’s main concerns is their children’s safety. Nothing frightens a parent more than not knowing where your kid is. We’re all quite aware of how dangerous the world is no matter how much we try to shelter our children. But in today’s digital world, with just a few taps on your mobile device, you can easily keep track of your children’s movement and whereabouts, thanks to the GPS in their phones. It somehow offers parents peace of mind and gives them one less thing to worry about.

And in case you need to confirm that your kid is doing okay, you can always call them on their phones to check.

5. Parents are not completely at peace even if their children at home because of their online activities.

Before, parents are more worried when their kids are out and about because of the physical dangers the outside world brings. But now, even if your kids are safely nestled in their bedrooms, the thought of the evils lurking in the virtual world is what’s keeping parents paranoid.

Now the dangers of the outside world have made their way into the privacy of people’s homes and this is quite upsetting for any parent. As parents, we should constantly connect with our children and guide them to properly conduct and behave online. This includes regulating screentime for both parents and kids because all that online connectedness negatively affects the real-life connections at home.

Technology has both pros and cons. You’ll be at a disadvantage with improper use but will gain a lot from it if employed in the right way.