By Ighomuaye Lucky. O
The founder of Glad Company and chief host, Digital Parenting Workshop, Teajay Chunu, said parenting in the past and the present day can never be the same due to the advent of modern day technology and applying same methods, could be counterproductive.
He disclosed this during the Digital Parenting Workshop with the theme: “Tech smart parenting” held at the Sir Victor Uwaifo Hub, Benin.
According to him “A lot of parents are struggling and they will not tell you but you can see it in the society. Where did every Yahoo boy come from? Where did every runs girl come from? They all came from a home.
“The world is evolving fast. We are trying to use our old technique or our old skills to parents today. It would not work. It is like trying to put new wine in an old wine skin. Scripture says it will burst.
“So, we cannot use the methods or the skills we used in raising children back then to raise children who we call digital natives. So, a lot of parents are lost on how to raise children.
“And that is why we are doing this to help parents raise children who are born in a digital era.
“Using technology as a tool, children these days are glued to devices.
“So, whether you like it or not, they are learning there, they are connecting, the world is in their face with their phone. Do you know who they are communicating with?
“This is a tool and it can also be a weapon. As a tool, it helps us learn but as a weapon, it is where people become scammers, people now get influenced by predators and you know, children are also committing suicide because of how and what they engage online.
“So, this is a concern. The numbers are out there. It is rising fast and if we do not do something, we would lose the next generation.
Chunu however said that he wanted parents to become more intentional in parenting, know how technology can help their parenting better, know what to do to ensure that they are helping raise children who are productive online, who are safe online, and who are responsible online.
Speaking also, Dr. Oghale-oghene Sele, Psychiatrist, Federal Neuropsychiatric Hospital, said children are faced with a lot of pressure from the internet rising from the amount of likes and dislikes and the number of followers they get and this affect their mental health negatively or positively.
She said also that children suffer from anxieties like how they are doing in their studies, parents ways of life, how to be successful in life.
Dr. Sele added that parents must learn to get closer to their wards to know how they feel and how to help them overcome whatever challenges they are going through in this digital era.
For Mrs Precious Imuwahen Ajoonu, founder, CEO SkillZHQ Ltd, said children deserve the best and that we are raising children at a time that is so unprecedented, stressing that you have to trust them and make them feel comfortable with you as parents.
Another speaker, Engr Ako E. Agenmonmen, founder, Surfspot Communications, advised that we must ensure that our children succeed in the online world because if at this time a lot of things are happening in the internet, rapid advancement in technology, what about 20-30 years to come? I believe all these we are seeing is just a child’s play compare to the advancement in technology that is to come.
So, I believe that we are the pioneers of the building of the internet.
Engr. Agenmonmen added that parents must set good examples for their children and strive that everyone stays cybersafe.
For Praise Fowowe, a Family Life Strategist, while proffering solutions for dealing with children who are addicted to the internet, urged parents to set boundaries, a monitoring system, prioritize digital media education and create a community of mission driven parents co-parenting christian children.
