Tips for raising kids in today's technology age

Technology invades every aspect of daily life for today's children, from the moment they wake to cellphone alarms until they fall asleep to tunes on their iPods. Unlike their TV-age parents, tweens and teens can't imagine life without instant access to everything from online entertainment to merchandise to other people.

Parenting, however, has become a bigger challenge in this age of instant gratification, with the generation gap a huge crater separating parents from children.

It doesn't have to be this way. The same technology that surrounds kids can be used to help educate and socialize them.

"Technology and its privileges can pose a deterrent to raising healthy kids but also can be a great asset to parents if they take good advantage of all the new world has to offer," said Dr. Michael Osit, a clinical psychologist and author of the new book "Generation Text: Raising Well-Adjusted Kids in an Age of Instant Everything."

Here are several tips on how to use technology to educate and socialize children:

•Make technology available and demonstrate appropriate use. The family computer belongs in an easily accessible, easily monitored room. Equip it with hardware and software conducive to learning: a word processing program, a multimedia presentation program and an audio mixer with an external microphone. Guide children on performing Internet searches and using tools such as Spellchecker and PowerPoint.

•Choose software that helps children grow cognitively and socially. Ask a teacher for recommendations. Read online reviews on such sites as Superkids.com and talk to other parents. When selecting video games, pay attention to violence, stereotyping and lack of respect for authority, whether the game is for a secondgrader or a teenager.

•Network and play with the child. Pull up a chair next to the computer and offer to help with homework. Challenge children to a Nintendo Wii game.

•Develop a mastery of technology. Kids, especially teenagers, often consider parents clueless. By mastering technology parents gain credibility. They and their child can pool tech skills and work as a team.

•Boost selfesteem. Many children are satisfied with efforts they consider "good enough." Use technology to motivate children to improve average assignments for rewards of excellent grades and positive feedback. Also recognize what moving up to the next level in video games means to a child and praise these accomplishments.

•Reinforce a work ethic. Children's cherished gadgets can be used to teach them to care for, appreciate and maintain their possessions. Teach responsibility by refusing to unconditionally replace lost cellphones or video game controllers.

This story is provided by State Point Media.