Taming the Tech Monster

Taming the Tech Monster image

TECH CONFERENCE OUTLINE

(for downloadable documents, click here)

PRACTICAL ADVICE FOR TAMING THE TECH MONSTER

1. Do something Different

2. You don’t have to be a tech expert, just be curious.

3. Determine to give your children the same childhood you had.

4. Ask yourself, “If I had a smartphone at 13, what would I have done with it?”

5. Remove the word “privacy” from your vocabulary (and from theirs).

6. Treat technology and internet access as a privilege, not a right.

7. Make your home face-to-face friendly.

8. Admit to and deal with your own tech addictions.

9. Teach and use technology as a supplement to life, and not as life itself.

10. Reveal the dangers of social media and online interactions.

11. Relay that anything shared with technology is never private and exists forever.

12. Say yes to more so you can say no to some.

13. Create filters for everything, both internal and external.

  • EXTERNAL FILTERS
    • You and your wallet.
    • Physical placement of screens and screen use in your home.
    • Each individual device’s settings.
    • Parental control apps.
    • INTERNET FILTERS

Some of these are one time purchases. Some have monthly fees. Some work on certain operating systems and not on others. Some offer apps for your child’s devices that filter or monitor. But nothing is foolproof. Do your research, make an informed decision, and then GO! If something doesn’t work, make a change!

  • BEST OPTION: DEVELOP INTERNAL FILTERS WITHIN YOUR CHILD
    • START and CONTINUE THE CONVERSATION
      • Talk about internet dangers
      • Tell them why they won’t have the same access their friends might have
      • Open the birds and the bees conversation early, and make it an ongoing conversation, keeping the lines of communication open at all times.
      • Don’t let someone else, or SOMETHING ELSE (video from a porn provider) shape their sexual identity. YOU SHAPE IT.
  • CREATE A FAMILY TECH CONTRACT (for an example, click here)
  • MODEL WHAT A HEALTHY RELATIONSHIP LOOKS LIKE.
  • GET AND READ “GOOD PICTURES, BAD PICTURES” with your family TODAY! (or for younger ones, check out GOOD PICTURES, BAD PICTURES JR.)
  • THROW YOUR PEBBLE.

HELPFUL LINKS

HELPFUL WEBSITES

www.theparentcue.org

www.protectyoungminds.org

www.digitalparenting.com

www.netsmartz.org

www.commonsensemedia.org

www.meetcircle.com

www.educateempowerkids.org

www.over18doc.com/about/

www.techaddiction.ca

INTERNET FILTERS REVIEW

https://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2346997,00.asp

https://www.fatherly.com/gear/net-nanny-hardware-devices/

BEST PARENTAL CONTROL APPS

https://www.pcmag.com/roundup/342731/the-best-parental-control-apps-for-your-phone

HELPFUL ARTICLES

http://theconversation.com/with-teen-mental-health-deteriorating-over-five-years-theres-a-likely-culprit-86996

http://www.modernministryblog.com/five-conversations-you-must-have-with-your-kids-about-social-media/

http://deeprootsathome.com/raising-children-technology/

https://www.babble.com/parenting/raise-your-kids-like-its-1982/

http://www.mymommystyle.com/2017/07/29/21978/

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