RSS Email

Parent-Child Relationship In The Digital Era

Parent child relationship

The parent child relationship is a unique relationship in itself. This relationship is so pure and full of trust, care, love and whole heartedness. However the relationship between parent and child has changed a lot with the changing landscape, human development and lifestyle. The relationship today is not the same kind as it used to be in earlier times. The shift towards nuclear family and loss of joint family system caused by rapid urbanization has changed the child rearing approach. It has become more of an individualistic approach rather than a community affair. Also the perception related to parenting has changed tremendously amongst adults too as they consider it to be a choice and not something natural. With the advent of digital age things have changed a lot and so does the dynamics of parent child relationship. The change is most significant in an adolescent child and parent relation as in this phase the child goes through a series of physical, mental and emotional changes that are affected by the changes in his social environment and particularly his relationship with parents.

With the coming of social media, the friend circle and social outreach of children have increased well beyond the geographic limit. Earlier it used to be under the grasp of the parents because of geographic restrictions. This has created more vulnerability for the parent child relationship. Parents also often lag behind children in terms of adoption of new technologies. The pace with which children adapt technological changes is much faster than ever before.  This lag creates a digital divide between the two generations if the parents do not cope-up with it.

The way children interact now with their parents and family members is far more different than earlier times. Technology has changed the interaction methods as it led to a reduction in the amount of physical interaction and made it more of a superficial kind of relationship. This can cause strains in relationship and lesser meaningful interaction between children and parents.

The other effects of digital era include the decline in the amount of time being given to relationships to flourish. Although technological tools do help in increasing communication and making it better but joint social media engagement drops off remarkably for kids who are six years or above. Hence to make meaningful relationship and to keep the relations smooth it is necessary for children and parents to spend more time together which may be either through the use of digital communicating tools.




5 Things to Know About Parent-Child Relationships

Parenting

The relationship between a parent and a child is different from all other relations and is unique. The kind of bond that a parent shares with his or her child is unmatched in love, care and affection. There may be a difference in the way a child bonds with his father and mother but the basis of the relationship is always the same. The never ending love and care of parents for their children forms the strong basic foundation of their pure relationship. The role of a parent is very critical for a child’s development both physically and mentally. The emotional and mental support that the child gets from the parents since the very beginning of his life shapes his future personality and tough process. Here are 5 things that one should be aware of regarding parent-child relationships.

1) Creating a positive atmosphere around your child is very important for his mental health. The warmth and the control that a parent could provide to his children is something that he cannot find anywhere else. For sound mental development of the children it is necessary to instill in them the power to control their emotions and temperament. This is affected strongly by parental upbringing and sensitivity.

2) There is a difference between the childrearing capabilities of a mother and a father that leads to unique relationship qualities of both of them. It is important that both mother and father play their role equally well and contribute for good well being of their child. A child should be comfortable and should be able to relate himself equally well with both paternal and maternal caring and support.

3) Emotions are an important part of child’s development process. The way a child behaves emotionally in various situations and the way he sees the emotions of his parents around him affects his overall thought process. It is the core of child’s development as a strong individual later in his life. Hence the regulation of child-parent emotions is very critical.

4) A good relationship between the parents themselves is very important for creating a positive impact on the child’s mind. Hostility of parents towards each other or strained relationships could adversely impact the child both mentally and emotionally.

5) The relationship between a father and a daughter can be far more protected at the beginning whereas the father-son relation is more likely to be affected by the effects of parental hostility. The social factors surrounding maternal caring influences infant development since the very beginning.