Shreya Suman Thakur

 PARENTING THE DIGITAL GENERATION: IS TECHNOLOGY A BLESSING OR A BURDEN? According to Michael Josephson: " Parenthood is a sacred privilege, a profound responsibility, and a boundless wellspring of unconditional love that knows no bounds. "The quote is accurate to the core. But as times and generations change, this experience of Parenthood has always been in question. Parents, after doing endless things for their children, always stand before society explaining themselves and the way they raise their children. As members of society, it is very easy for each of us to raise a finger at others, but to empathize with them takes a lot of guts. Raising a child has always been difficult, and parents have always struggled, regardless of the generation they belong to. Earlier generations went through financial and technological crises. But they were still able to give their children the best of their upbringings. It meant that a good upbringing is not dependent on the amount of money a parent earns or the technology that one can use to raise a child. What a child needs are time, love, patience, trust, and less burden of the expectation that they be only SUCCESSFUL in life. As a parent, one should instill a sense of confidence that, no matter what you do — good or bad, successful or not — we, as parents, will stand with you. Do whatever you want and love. We will help you to excel in that. Technology has taken center stage in the last decade; otherwise, life has gone on smoothly. We never faced any problem like a parent or a child. Our parents never had a privileged life. Staying in a joint family was the most significant asset at that time. The relatives staying with us were our CCTV cameras. Grandparents, helpers, uncles, aunties — they used to keep an eye on the child if the parents were working. But today we live in nuclear families: father, mother, one or two kids, along with helpers who come and go. Here's the use of CCTV is not to monitor kids, but to monitor our helpers who are at home with the kids, looking after them. This kind of arrangement clearly shows that we don't wholly trust the ones we have hired for the kids. But yes, cameras do give us a sense of satisfaction that our kids are safe, even though we are watching them from afar. Mobile phones, tablets, and technology like the internet have brought the world closer at the click of a mouse. All the information is available on the internet; we need to press a button, and we enter a whole new world through Windows. The children and parents complete homework given at school using them. The technology covers everything from the child's favorite food to rhymes, poems, and stories. Mommies use everything to make their kids learn and eat. Kids learn their topics using tablets or phones. Now, even schools can offer online classes during extended holidays or unforeseen circumstances. Online classes are a good option for working parents, as they can keep their children busy and on schedule. Now comes Pandora's box of trouble—excessive technology use. Inventor and Author R. Buckminster Fuller has said, "Humanity is acquiring all the right technology for all the wrong reasons." And to some extent, the author is absolutely right. The inventors made gadgets and technologies to make our lives easier, and they did. But we humans have misused them all. Now the repercussions are visible at home and across society as a whole. Parents are busy, so their time with their kids is replaced by tablets or mobiles. Grandparents feel awkward staying in a nuclear setup and feel as if they are the odd ones out. Grandparents visit for a while, pamper the kids, and leave. It's not their fault—they're here for a limited time, so they can't be after kidos. Children now prefer watching on their tablets and phones rather than going out to play in the playground with their friends. Children will not eat without videos, which was never a privilege for people like us born in a different era altogether. The Gen Z are born smart and talented. They have a less social life. On the one hand, they are super talented and creative; on the other, they are secretive and thoughtful. The children are becoming less expressive to the point that they prefer to take their lives instead of talking to their parents. The lack of time among parents and the missing link with grandparents are taking a toll on innocent minds. These young, immature minds find it confusing when and where to go and speak their hearts out. As a result, Gen Z kids are becoming aggressive, stubborn, and introverted. As a Gen Z kid's parent, I sometimes find it challenging to deal with my single child. I try to give my child the best. The technology comes to my rescue, too. But now it has a limited existence in my house. Only for studies, research, and sometimes for recreation. I believe "EXCESS OF ANYTHING IS BAD AND INJURIOUS TO HEALTH." So being a digital generation kid's mother is challenging, but it's also enjoyable because it allows us to upskill ourselves. Just control the timing and resources that the kid is watching and doing. The rest will fall in place. According to Diane Loomans, "Parenting is the art of guiding a child to discover the world while rediscovering it through their innocent eyes, and in doing so, finding the magic in everyday moments." Shreya Suman Thakur