We are raising our children in an era of dangerous paradox. We are the most educated group of parents to walk the earth, yet our children stand a much higher chance of developing serious conditions such as stress, insomnia, anxiety, depression, obesity, diabetes and addiction. While all of these problems also have roots in our genes, the fact that they are all on the rise in children has nothing to do with DNA and everything to do with the imbalanced modern lifestyles in which we are raising our children. A lack of balance plagues the everyday lives of so many children. If our children spend too much time working at a desk and not enough time living in the real world, they won’t learn how to balance work and real life in adulthood. If our children spend too much time studying or practising and not enough time resting or unwinding, they’ll have a hard time being able to relax. If our children spend too much time being protected, they won’t learn how to protect. The dolphin doctrine themselves. If our children are given too much instruction and not enough time to problem-solve on their own, they’ll have a hard time facing and solving their own problems. A child who grows up imbalanced won’t even know what balance feels like. With the goal of balance in mind, let’s look at the three classic parenting styles through the metaphor of the tiger, jellyfish and dolphin.
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While it’s a common realization that the world has become a connected global village, it’s also a fact that we are seeing increasing divisions based on ideology, culture, class, race, religion, family values, and politics. With each passing day, differing attitudes, cultural values, perceived social norms, and political ideologies are pulling people further apart. This increased polarization is also making people feel isolated, demoralized, or angry since dialogue often ends up in arguments, hostility, and further division rather than listening, connection, problem-solving and social cohesion.
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It would not be news to say that excessive use of technology is negatively affecting children of all ages. Screen time not only affects children’s mental health, but can also negatively impact parent-child relationships, attention span, self-esteem, self-identity, academic performance, physical fitness, and social development. According to a survey, around 70% of parents these days struggle with excessive tech use at their homes. Be it smartphones, tablets, or laptops, parents are finding it hard to manage the screen time of children. The issue does not end here; managing tech use is also a key concern at schools as devices continue to be an integral part of learning. This makes us eager to learn and understand the idea of tech withdrawal—behaviours and emotions children exhibit when technology use is diminished or removed. In this blog, let’s learn about tech withdrawal, what it is and what parents and teachers can do to manage it effectively.
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While smartphones prove to be a powerful educational, safety, communication, and organizational tool within schools, it also raises concerns about distraction, academic integrity, cyberbullying, and social isolation among students. This is why, schools all around the world are deliberating different policies to tackle the negative consequences of cell phones for the youth of all ages. This blog outlines different cellphone policies implemented by various countries across the globe, the rationale behind it, as well as the results of these unique policies.
