Blended learning may be part of the new normal as educators and pupils will continue to use online learning even when face to face classroom instruction will already be permitted once the pandemic is put under reasonable control. For those belonging to the and D and E households (about 60 percent of the population), because of lack of internet facilities, much of the work at home may still be done through printed modules which may actually help some of the parents (and grandparents) in these households improve their own literacy and numeracy as they struggle to assist their respective children (grandchildren) cope with their homework. For those households belonging to the A, B, C market segments (with monthly family income of P20,000 or more), there will be a greater challenge to help children moderate their use of all types of digital devices as they progress in the educational ladder from elementary to high school. Especially for these more economically endowed families, it should be considered that childhood is the time to begin practising the virtues and the right use of freedom to help them derive the greatest benefit from the new technologies and avoid the pitfalls. I summarize below some very important guidelines found in the e-Book entitled “New Technologies and Christian Life” found in the website opusdei.org.
Although any general rule can always have some exceptions, the experience of many educators is that when children are very young it is better for them not to have advanced electronic devices (tablets, smartphones, laptops). In order to instil temperance and detachment, it is advisable that these devices are owned by the family as a whole and are used in shared places, except those that are necessary for blended learning. Parents should devise a plan to help the children be moderate in their use of them, with family rules that protect other critical times for family life, individual study, and rest. Children must be taught the value of direct human contact, which no technology can replace. It is especially important that children be closely guided in the use of the internet. There should be opportunities for deeper conversations while helping them to check the internet together, “wasting time” playing on a console or fixing the settings on a smartphone. It is best that children do not have devices which are constantly connected to the internet. It is better to follow a specific plan, with clearly set times and places for internet access (disconnecting the devices or turning them off at night). At the primary school level, it is prudent for teachers to limit giving assignments which require frequent use of search engines
A more challenging period is when the children reach adolescence. They tend to forcefully claim spheres of freedom that often they are not yet ready to handle with responsibility. Educating teenagers to use freedom with responsibility is a difficult task but must be faced squarely by parents. As Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI stressed, “educating means providing people with true wisdom which includes faith, in order to enter into relationship with the world; it means equipping them with sufficient guidelines in the order of thought, affections and judgments.” The key to succeeding in this difficult task is dialogue. Rules cannot just be handed from above. It is important to explain the “whys” of certain ways of behaving which may be perceived by young people as overly rigid. They must be made to realise that limits are not curtailments of their freedom but are strong affirmations that help them forge an authentic personality, enabling them to go against the current. It is more effective to show how attractive virtue is right from the start, appealing to the magnanimous ideals that fill the hearts of young people, the great loves that move them: loyalty to their friends, respect for others, the need to live temperance and modesty, etc. They must be shown how attractive virtue is.
The parents’ work becomes easier when they are fully aware of their children’s interests. Without giving their children the sense that they are “spying” on them, parents must generate enough confidence for them to feel comfortable talking about what attracts them, to know what interests them and, where appropriate, spending time with them and sharing in their interests. For example, parents should follow closely the blogs of their children and take interest in what they write about and when opportune give them feedback. Adolescence is also the appropriate age to teach children how to be temperate in the use of devices, gadgets and software (applications, etc.). Parents need to teach children how to live detachment, not only because of the cost of hardware and software, but also to avoid being dominated by feelings, going from one thing to another without discernment in constant search for what is fashionable. It is never too early to teach children how to appreciate what is truly good and beautiful. Knowing how to explain the “why” does not require advanced technical knowledge. In many cases, the advice children need on how to act in the digital world is the same required for their behavior in society: good manners, modesty and decency, respect for others, guarding their senses (especially the eyes), self-control.
Finally, it is important to help children appreciate the meaning of true friendship. If it is common sense that they should not begin a conversation with the first person they encounter on the street, neither should this happen on the Web. They must be convinced that what is published on the internet is usually accessible to countless people anywhere in the world, and that almost all actions carried out in the digital environment leave a trail that can be accessed through searches. The digital world is a vast space that children need to learn to navigate with naturalness, but also with a lot of common sense. Effective and open family communication will help children understand these realities about the digital world, creating an atmosphere of trust in which they can voice any questions and resolve uncertainties. This, of course, presupposes that the parents are the very first to demonstrate restraint, wisdom and common sense in the use of social media. For comments, my email address is [email protected]