At first glance it appears not much. However, one thing we can all agree on is that our kids and technology both grow and evolve at incredibly fast rates.
Take for example, the perplexity of how one day our kids are playing contently with Legos or dolls on the living room floor, but overnight it feels as if they have morphed into teenagers obsessed with technology, cars, clothes, the opposite sex, and more. Suddenly, the little kids we used to know have been replaced with adolescents trying to find their way in the world.
Granted, technology doesn’t rely on biology or hormones to spur changes, but our devices and gadgets can evolve quickly. Often these changes, upgrades, and updates leave us wondering where we got left behind or straining to play catch-up with our kids’ digital know-how. Especially, in a world that often seems driven by social media and smart technology. It’s inevitable that our children and devices will change, but this revolving process makes it vital for us, as parents, to stay up-to-date on the trending and dangerous apps our kids frequently download and use.
It’s no secret that we already have a lot on our plates as we help our children navigate their way to adulthood. For those reasons alone, it can feel like we are waging in an uphill battle when we add the valuable amount of time and effort we spend worrying if our boys or girls are victims of sexting, cyberbullying, extorting, or oversharing via technology. So, as we exchange the old year for a fresh beginning, we should make it a point to spend a few minutes educating ourselves on the apps our sons and daughters might be utilizing.
Afterall, knowledge is power.
