n a world being taken over by technology, parenting is no longer limited to providing nurturance, education and advice. Surveys across Indian cities have shown an alarming percentage of children spending time online, sometimes even without supervision. This can often lead to decreasing attention span and academic efficiency, sleep difficulties, social withdrawal, increased eye-strain and poor posture. While staying in touch with technology has its advantage- boosting creativity, improving language & exposure to global information, parents can provide access to their child, while setting clear boundaries and rules regarding usage. Zero screen time is recommended for children below the age of 2, and only interactive, educational content up to 1 hour/day(maximum), for children ages 2-5. Younger children observe how often, for what purpose and where their parents use gadgets, accepting this as the norm, making it important to model the accepted behaviour. Older children require monitoring as per their age. Understand privacy settings, set up firewall, and use applications such as netnanny or Aura to supervise and set limits to content. Teach your child the difference between online and reality, the importance of keeping information private, encouraging open discussions about the world they interact with online. Rather than denying them the world of technology or teaching them to fear the dangers that lurk out there, teach them to be responsible and accountable.





