As a life coach I have noticed that many of my clients and people who have children are attached to new technologies, especially social media. It's almost as if it has become an instinct to give children a tablet or phone when they are upset, when they need to be distracted, to get them to eat, or even as a reward when they've been good.

There is no reason to shame mothers for mothers for doing this, but we should recognize how often it is done and limit screen time so that it is not like a "babysitter" for them. And even for moms themselves.

According to the Journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics and Pediatrics Volume 126, researchers are finding that the excessive use of screen devices has significant effects on children's brains and their development.
 

"Seeing, hearing, tasting, touching and smelling are the main ways we experience our world, so if we are not using these five senses, then we are not learning the best of our brain's abilities," say the researchers. 
 

It may seem easy for our children to sit for hours using devices, and even comfortable especially for caregivers to entertainor soothe them with these devices,  however, side effects must be taken into account. For example, it has become common that when a child cries they are handed an iPad to immediately soothe them. Or even if a child is happy they are now immediately handed a phone to take pictures or "promote" their happiness. 

This new generation of children is being raised and nurtured by technology and digital content creators so we are not developing the best skills. This is how devices have become the new nannys. This is not surprising only because our access to technology has become so much greater in the last decade, but it is concerning because of the dramatic increase in screen time. 

In 1999, statistics showed that children and adolescents spent more than 3 hours a day on average watching television and today they spend more than 7 hours a day on average using televisions, computers, phones and other electronic devices for entertainment. 

However, the interactivity of the Internet has been shown to help children grow when the content is directly oriented to help them learn. As parents, we should prioritize the use of the internet for learning so our children can benefit from technology, but not be completely dependent on it.

Here are 3 ways you can decrease the amount of time your children spend on the Internet and also break the dependency they have created from so much use. 

1. Set a time limit on the electronic devices your children use. It will be easier for them to understand that they have a certain amount of time to use them and that when that time runs out it's time to find another hobby. They will also stop thinking that you will give them a device in any situation. 
2. Find your children other hobbies that give them the opportunity to have fun and learn. For example, give them a series of books on a topic that interests them, or a game that keeps them entertained, or even encourage them to follow a sport they like and practice it.
3. Show them websites they can follow to learn new things about playing an instrument, practicing their favorite subject, or more information about a new hobby they have. This way the time they spend on the internet will only be to learn about other hobbies that will start to take up more of their time.

Keep these 3 tips in mind to expand awareness of how technology affects our children. As a united community of parents we must try to make the internet a tool for our children and not the new nanny they depend on all the time.