The content and duration of children’s digital technology use should be controlled!

Emphasizing the importance of children spending time outdoors during the summer vacation, the Department of Child Development faculty member Asst. Prof. Demet Gülaldı stated that "We do not want our children to stay indoors. After spending the whole winter at home, we recommend that they should spend their summer vacation more outside, outdoors and in nature. Playing outdoors makes a great contribution to the development of children."

Noting that children are introduced to technology from birth, Asst. Prof. Demet Gülaldı warned that "Parents should control the duration and content of their children's use of digital technology.”

Üsküdar University, Faculty of Health Sciences, Department of Child Development Asst. Prof. Demet Gülaldı made suggestions to support the development of children during the summer vacation.

We have a period of 2-2.5 months ahead of us that we can spend to the fullest

Stating that after a long academic year, the summer vacation has started and even some of them have been left behind. Prof. Demet Gülaldı said that "When we think that schools will open in mid-September, we have a period of 2 or 2 and a half months ahead of us that we can make the most of it. It has great importance that we make efficient use of this time."

Playing outdoors makes a great contribution to the development of children

Pointing out that children spend time by doing different activities during the summer vacation, Asst. Prof. Demet Gülaldı continued her remarks as follows: "Some go to summer schools, some spend time at home with their families, and some stay with a caregiver because their parents work. However, we do not want our children to stay indoors. After spending the whole winter at home, we recommend that they spend their summer vacation more outside, outdoors and in nature. Playing outdoors contributes greatly to the development of children. By playing games with their friends, it is possible for them to gain many life skills such as sharing, empathy, leadership and responsibility. Therefore, we should encourage our children to nature and outdoor play as much as possible. If there is a safe street perimeter, they can play on the street. On weekends, family nature trips, picnics or park visits can be planned."

Vacations should be balanced

Pointing out that vacations are not just a time for rest or play, Asst. Prof. Demet Gülaldı stated that "Vacation is not just for rest or games. It is not just to homework or to read books. We recommend that families and parents keep it in balance. In other words, children should both rest and have fun, do some skill homework in the academic field, and read the book. They should do these things in a balanced way.”

Our priority is to encourage them to play outdoor games as much as possible

Stating that activities that will make children happy should be planned, considering their wishes, Asst. Prof. Demet Gülaldı stated that "We say to families to consider what our children like and want to do. However, of course, our priority is to encourage our children to play outdoors in nature as much as possible."

Pay attention to the use of digital technology!

Emphasizing that children are introduced to technology from birth, Asst. Prof. Dr. Prof. Demet Gülaldı stated that "Even in the 0-2 age period, they step into technology with books and toys that make noise. As the world moves towards digital technology, it is not possible to keep our children completely away from these technologies. However, it is our duty to control how and for how long they need to access digital technology. How should we access the digital technology that matters to us? How long should we access it? How should we use it? We need to protect our children from the unrestricted and uncontrolled access of digital technology. Of course, we will not be able to ban it on children. Regardless of the age group, we leave our children alone with computers, tablets and smartphones in accordance with their age level. However, what we need to do as parents is to determine the duration and content of this."

Duration and content of use should be checked

Stating that being alone with digital technologies for long hours non-stop can harm the development of children, Asst. Prof. Demet Gülaldı concluded her remarks as follows: "Parents should control their children's digital technology usage time and content. In this way, digital technologies can even be used for the benefit of children. However, we should not leave our children alone with digital technologies in an unlimited and uncontrolled way."

Üsküdar News Agency (ÜNA)