Child Development and the Internet

Alef Innovations is a young and dynamic company with interests in Technology Innovation. Through one of our products – Social Media Marketing – we discovered that most children as young as 8 years are very active users of social networks. It aroused our curiosity how activity in the cyber community was affecting young minds in terms of their development and academic pursuits. We also came to realise that Education Technology was equally taking off like a whirlwind taking both educators and parents by surprise. Whilst it is easy for academic institutions to put policies and procedures in place on how Social Media can be accessed during schooling hours, when the child is at home at times parents do not see the need to monitor what children get up to when they are online. 

It is becoming almost impossible to ban our children from accessing the internet as it has become an invaluable source of information. Care needs to be taken though that not every piece of information in the cyberspace is authentic. It is equally important to note that there are many hazards that young minds can come across in the cyberspace. Some parents are literally addicts of social networks and may not be the best role models for their children.  However educators do have success stories of better results attained through incorporating the internet in the learning experience. 

It is for this reason that we thought it prudent to bring together stakeholders in child development, Information Technology and Social Commentators who are active in Social Media and are well acquainted with the happenings around these networks.

The objective of such conferences is to get these experts to share best practices in dealing with Social Media where children are involved.  For parents we want to make sure that they are aware of the dangers within these forums, we also equip them with available means of child online protection. For educators we assist them with policies and procedures suitable for their unique environments. We share with them the latest education technology available. We want these discussions to shape public policy on incorporating technology in the learning experience of our children. We also share with social workers how to identify and handle child development discords caused by technology. We share best methods of prevention and possible remedies where the situation has gone overboard. We want to involve organisations that provide this technology either as a service or particular products. From them we need to understand what systems they have put in place to protect minors. This discourse cannot be complete without the involvement of community and civic leaders. There is current legislation that governs technology in its various forms, it is important to understand what it is and how it protects minors. 

We are hosting one such conference on the 3^rd of March 2016 in Cape Town at Lagoon Beach Hotel Conference and Spar. We still have seats available and you can book yours by following this link www.cognitoforms.com/ALEFInnovations1/ConferenceRegistration 

The challenges of Education Technology

Technology is known to improve our way of life. It helps us multi task, we are able to save costs as processes can be streamlined. Through technology some physical barriers like distance can be overcome. I remember watching a short video a couple of weeks ago about refugees from one African country that were mesmerized when they found themselves in America. The cultural differences were just overwhelming. Technology makes it possible for us to have relationships with anyone from any corner of the world, and interact with them in a manner that exposes us to their lifestyles in real time.  I also watched an interesting video of airplanes battling strong winds during take off and landing, something that I have never encountered throughout my flying experience. Social Media makes it possible for us to share our experiences with the rest of the world, helping all of us to expand our worldview. This type of exposure is being exploited extensively in the education arena. Not only to expose students to other parts of the world but also to help with their learning experience. A friend on Facebook recently shared how proud they were of their child who recently completed a research on the continent of Africa. The child is only 10 years and still primary school. Some institutions are literally going paperless. Online applications (computer programs) are used to teach various concepts. Business innovation has enthused others to set up computer study centers where children get extra lessons conducted via computers.

Education Technology is most effective when it is online. Educational software is available some for free and some at minimum costs. Most schools have gone out of their way to provide hardware in the form of desktop computers, tablets and electronic boards. Schools as responsible institutions, have restrictions on which sites students are allowed to visit in the cyberspace. They are laid down policies and procedures on the access of internet even Social Media networks. However just like textbooks, parents find themselves pressed to avail cyberspace accessing gadgets for children when they are at home. Some parents have bought their kids laptops, tablets and or smartphones. Some of our homes have broadband internet with wireless connectivity (wifi). Our kids are able to navigate the internet from home for school work and entertainment. This is where the challenge begins for an average parent.  The policies and procedures from school are not applicable or enforced at home. So who is supposed to monitor what our kids are exposed to when they are at home? Who supervises their activities on Social Media when they are at home? In fact, even at school, maybe the polices are not as effective because we have seen disturbing images and videos of school children in school premises, some in classrooms. The internet and Social Media in particular, makes sharing of these videos very easy and they go viral inflicting serious emotional damages on our children.

Whilst the internet has brought in Education Technology, which enhances the learning experience and prepares our kids for the feature, it comes with some challenges. We cannot overlook the possibility of some of our educators not being technologically sound to handle appropriately this phenomenon. Neither can we underplay the possibility that some parents are equally challenged to supervise kids appropriately around this technology. Psychologists have made observations that too much time spent online leads to developmental challenges on our children. Whilst the internet has proved to be a good learning tool, it is also known to kill off imagination and self confidence two important aspects of any learning experience. Therefore, it is dangerous for kids to spend a lot of time glued to the internet. But how much time is too much time online for a child? What do you do if your child already has an internet accessing gadget but their school is not yet using any Education Technology? How can you assure the safety of children when they are online at home? For kids that already show signs of addiction, how can they be assisted? Join us as we discuss these and other cardinal issues on Child Development, Learning Experience and Online Safety in a one day conference on Social Media and Minors. For more details follow this link  alefinnovations.com/wordpressfiles/events/ 

It takes a village to raise a child - the cyberspace ain't no village

There is an old African saying that goes, "It takes a village to raise a child". The meaning behind the saying can only be understood by taking a look at an African village. An African village was made up of close family members. The village set up was such that the family head would offer pieces of land around his homestead to his offspring . The village head/chief or councilor would also be one of the close family members. Hence a child born in any of the homesteads within the village is either a brother, a cousin or a nephew. All adults in the village were related. Family matters could not wait for maternal parents seeing everyone was a close relative. When it came to matters of child upbringing, anyone within the village would always have their best interests for any minor.

Urbanization came and distorted this setup. In pursuit of economic opportunities we are now scattered so far away from our paternal families. I stay in a multi-racial complex. I have seen kids the age of my son, around 10 years publicly smoking in my neighborhood. We are of different nationalities although the majority are from our host country. Whatever values that I hold as a parent, can never be the same with those of my neighbor who hails from a different country. Most of our schools are multi-cultural, multi racial, multi-religious, and so are the teachers that spend most of day hours with our kids. I remember my father telling me that the headmaster at the school where he did his primary education was his father's (my grandfather) best friend; they actually called him uncle. Whilst we relate with our neighbors and community leaders, we are literally strangers to each other and hold different values.

Over and above urbanization we are now in the digital era where the internet rules supreme. We are now connected to strangers 24/7. You can get a solution to any situation through search engines. Someone can give you advice on how to commit suicide - even though they haven't done it themselves. You can belong to online networks and communities where there are faceless friends. Physical relationships are slowly being replaced by online relationships. For any caring parent, if your child has 5000 followers on a particular network and is chatting to hundreds of friends from chat platforms - never mistake the global village for the physical village. The cyberspace is infested with many hazards that you need to be aware of and alert your child about. In the rural village where we grew up, if my parents disciplined me and I went next door to bad mouth them, either I would get a hiding or I would be strongly reprimanded. Online we have seen children calling their parents all sorts of expletives, and you will find some members of the Cyber village encouraging such behavior. Unfortunately the same people who encourage children to do bad things, turn around and use that against them. They might start bullying them or black mail them in one way or another forcing the poor child into compromising decisions. Once emotions are damaged at a tender age, fixing them is very difficult.

Parents can not block their children from accessing the internet as some school requirements demand that. Other schools are going paperless and lessons are conducted using online applications. It is also not possible for parents to be technology masters in order to protect their kids. Some parents may not have the time to go through the child's phone/tablet/laptop and follow up on all conversations to make sure that their child is safe. Denying children access to a phone/tablet/laptop might not be possible. How best can we protect our kids. Carr Snow says, "Technology....is a queer thing. It brings you great gifts with one hand, and it stabs you in the back with the other." We live in the technology era, it is our responsibility as parents to make sure our kids don't get stabbed at the back. For more information on how to protect your child, or what role you can play for a safer internet environment for children, we invite you to our conference. For more details kindly log into our website
alefinnovations.com

Smart Phone and Tablet the gift of choice for most parents

Most parents have bought their children gifts in the form of a smart phone or a tablet. Those that have not, are waiting for the perfect opportunity to do so. These clever gadgets are convenient. They make communication easy and affordable. With a budget of data only, you can still make voice calls. With these gadgets parents can trace the exact location of their kids at any particular time. Just this past week I saw a Facebook update of a parent who was fuming that her school runner had forgotten to pick up their child at school. If the child was in possession of a smart phone, the parent could have discovered this mishap earlier and easily by confirming the location of the child through online applications.

Don't we love these gadgets, they have saved many of us from embarrassment  as parents as they provide answers to our kids' home work. We can simply refer them to Google and this lady does answer any question you can imagine. With education technology, some of our schools are going paperless. Although in some instances tablets are provided, there are some instances where the child needs to have their personal gadget. If the tablet remains at school, when the child gets home, they at times become a nuisance disturbing us as we conduct important business on our gadgets. Hence the motivation to buy our kids these internet accessing gadgets. These gadgets have also eased up competition with our kids for the television set. When you want to watch your favorite program and the little one wants to watch their cartoons - its a battle you can never win. With a smartphone or tablet, kids can bury themselves in numerous games and educational material. 

However, good as these gadgets may seem, they can be very dangerous if we are not careful with what our kids are exposed to. The programs broadcast through televisions have have age restrictions, and we would not allow those under age to watch them. But even programs with 18SNVLP would not explicitly bare body parts and human copulation. The Internet accessed through smart phones and tablets leave nothing to the imagination. In fact, the Internet will show some things that are shocking to adults. This is not the only danger one encounters online, but the Cyberspace is infiltrated with strangers that have ulterior motives. Some may not be strangers but well known individuals who are given the courage of being anonymous to become iniquitous. Internet has innocent circles like Social Media networks, they may look harmless but are known to cause damage to human development.  Many families are dysfunctional because children are addicted to Social Media, they no longer converse nor are they interested in reading and school work.

It is cardinal to know what your child gets up to when they are online. They are measures that can be put in place to protect children. Schools have a role to play in Child Online Safety. For those of us in Social Work we need to understand how to care for the vulnerable who face challenges in the Cyberspace. Our community leaders must take charge in encouraging us to be responsible parents. It is now more than ever that we need policies that make the Internet a Safe Environment for all minors. In view of these concerns, on the 3rd of March, we will be hosting a conference on Social Media and Minors. You are invited to come and learn more about protecting your child from the hazards of the Cyberspace. We can not avoid having our kids access the internet - how can we secure their safety? For registration and more details visit http://alefinnovations.com/