Disclosure: This is a collaborative post about how the internet can benefit.
A lot of parents may find themselves generally afraid when it comes to letting their children use the internet. There’s so much out there that’s unsafe for children to view. However, there are many benefits your children can gain from having access to the internet. You should know that all things can be good in moderation. Internet usage is certainly one of them!
No matter the teacher, your child can’t learn everything from one person. Picking up new interests can only come from seeing others do it. Without the internet your child might miss out on things that appeal to them. So long as you’re there with them, you can ensure that this technology is nothing but a positive experience for them.
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Easily accessible
Not everyone is born with equal ability. Some children who have disabilities might struggle to access the same facilities that other children can. This is where the internet is strongest. There’s a lot of technology that’s built with disabilities and special needs in mind. Making them easy and intuitive to use no matter your abilities. It provides a fair and level experience for all. Which isn’t just limited to browsing the net, but games for children may also have the same features.
Children who are stuck in one place due to medical complications and conditions can also use the internet to learn more about what’s going on around them. It’s a gateway to the outside world, even in scenarios where it’s not as easy to get around and see it for yourself.
For the children who have trouble socialising with others, the internet can be a way to bridge that gap. Not having the chance to socialise with peers can make social development difficult. So if the internet can help to solve that, it’s something that should be looked into.
Great entertainment
A lot of parents worry about the effect that video games and online entertainment have on their kids, and it’s fine to worry. You should know, however, that the times are changing. Watching videos online has become a replacement or alternative to watching TV. Playing online games suitable for kids is something that many kids do as a social activity.
As long as you’re present or checking in on what your kids are doing, you can make sure they get to experience such entertainment without anything dangerous happening.
You should also know that you can have a parent lock on the internet, meaning that there are certain areas of the internet that are inaccessible.
Learn useful skills now
Anything that you could ever want to learn is there and ready for you to access. That’s not something that’s exclusive to adults. There’s plenty that can benefit children, too. You could even use it as a way to learn something with your child. Making for both a learning experience and a bonding activity. When you have such a tool available to use, you should use it as much as possible! Free resources aren’t ever something you should turn down.
There are many different formats to the learning material that you might find online. You might find some in simple text formats, although there are often videos that will go very much in-depth on certain topics. It’s great to fit every kind of learner, and you can use it for your own style of home education.
This would also be a great way to learn internet safety. As the internet has become an integral part of life, there’s no harm in learning these skills early. Things like creating strong passwords and never giving out information to strangers are topics that we all have to know about.
Long-distance communication
During the holidays or things like lockdown, it can be hard to stay in touch with your loved ones. We all have family members that are far away, or just aren’t available for meeting up all that often. The internet provides a way to fix that. It can be extra tricky when your children aren’t able to see their grandparents over long periods of time. So you’ll want to ensure that they’ve had some way of communication.
Zoom calls or other platforms like Skype can be the perfect solution to that, and you don’t have to invest in plane tickets, or risk getting sick while traveling. Kids also need to stay in touch with their friends while away from school, and nearly everyone is using social media these days. It’s become an integral part of a younger person’s life.
Educational gaps
When it comes to home education, there are going to be topics that you can’t cover or small gaps that you want to teach to your kids but need more information. You can use online resources to fill those gaps.
You should also consider that you’re going to need to make sure they’ve got something to show for their education. When going to school, your kids would usually receive their qualifications from doing exams and tests to show their knowledge. However, home education is a different story. If you feel the need to show your child’s knowledge, to an ex-spouse for example. You could instead use an online test platform to cover that issue.
Even if your child is going to school, the resources that are available online can help them to learn even more. They can get a leg up when at school, and can prove invaluable in topics that they struggle in.
Resources for any hobby
If your child is expressing interest in something that you don’t know that much about, you can access those resources any place any time. There are also plenty of different websites that host these resources, offering a diverse range of lessons and structures.
Of course, the internet isn’t a completely safe place, but that can apply to everyone. If you don’t know the basics of internet safety, and often ignore warning signs that you might be at risk – using the internet could cost you. You might end up on websites that display inappropriate imagery, or fraudulent websites that are out for your money. It’s important to teach your children how to avoid these things, and why it’s so important.
The internet is also a place where bullies can thrive, due to its anonymity of it. You can say what you want online, and there’s generally no consequence to it. Of course, popular games will likely stop things like harassment, but social media can from time to time offer no solution to a bullying problem.
So long as the parent is making sure to be involved in the child’s internet usage depending on their age, they can protect their kids from anything that they shouldn’t be seeing or experiencing when browsing the internet. It should be used for educational and entertainment purposes only!
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