Gen Z children pick up their phones as soon as they wake up. As soon as we wake up in the morning, we start scrolling through Instagram reels, TikTok videos or YouTube shorts. As soon as we return from school or college, we check friends’ stories. Phones remain on the table even at dinner time. Scrolling for 1-2 hours before sleeping at night.
According to a survey, Indian teenagers spend an average of 7-8 hours every day on social media. In such a situation, parents of Gen Z-Alpha generation should take special care of parenting. Their small carelessness can become a big problem in future.
Nowadays parents are very busy with work. That’s why he is often unable to pay attention to his children. Especially considering how long he has been on the phone. Gen Z children often sit with their phones on the pretext of studying, but gradually get lost in social media, games and videos. Parents should set limits on children’s screen time. It should be decided in advance how many hours a day the mobile has to be used. Also, stop using your phone before sleeping at night.
It is very important to talk to this generation, because their world is no longer just home and friends. Now they sit at one place and see every good and bad thing in the world. Nowadays there is a communication gap between parents and children. Therefore, have direct and open conversations. Ask them questions like ‘What do they see on social media?’ Who do they talk to and what bothers them? Explain the dangers of cyber bullying or fake news. Install apps like Bark or Qustodio that offer parental controls.
Keep all the phones in a box during dinner. Make a ‘phone-free dinner’ rule. Plan family games, a trip to the park or a movie night on the weekend. With this, children will feel a real connection. Apart from this, utilize your child’s free time. Instead of giving phones to children, make them join dance classes. Send your children outside to play with other children.
