5 Ways For Parents To Stay Updated On Using Technology!

Overwhelmed by the surging flood of technology? Here’s how you can keep abreast with the tide…

Technology is changing and advancing at a dizzying pace and keeping abreast seems a Herculean task, but it is something we need to cope up with and harness if we must stay relevant in this tech-driven world of ours.

It is more than obvious that technology is here to stay, digging its roots deeper and deeper in our lives. Everyday, the world is becoming more digitally driven than we could have imagined a few decades back. 

From socialising and shopping to learning and trading, every aspect of life today is driven by technology. Not to mention the non-stop consumption of news, information and entertainment. 

For many of us, even our work happens online, compelling us to deal more with the virtual realities than our physical existence.

Technology is obviously a good thing, easing our lives, making our daily chores and jobs more convenient and accessible as well as helping us learn about the world and keeping us better connected with others. There are many of us who can’t have enough of it.

However, many of us from the older generations struggle to cope up with the surging flood of tech overwhelming our lives.

Despite being surrounded and driven by technology, many modern parents, who grew up in a less technologically-intrinsic world of the previous century, are not very comfortable with the digital onslaught, and keeping up is a constant struggle.   

The more widespread technology becomes, the more intrusive it gets, making us more and more incapable of doing things on our own. 

Having said that, technology is indispensable to modern life but as essential as it is, if not managed properly, technology becomes a source of distraction in our lives.

So, striking a balance is the key, to maintaining a safe distance while staying updated with the latest in the tech world.

Staying updated with technology has become particularly important for parents, especially in the post-pandemic world, when education moved online.

With smart boards, ebooks, digital classrooms, and immersive tech-driven learning becoming integral to educational experiences, parents can’t afford to be unaware and aloof.  

Even otherwise, being well-versed in tech is essential in the upbringing of our children as they grow up immersed in the virtual world, playing, interacting and getting entertained, apart from learning.

To keep up with the child’s tech experiences, if not to stay ahead of them, being involved with their experiences is necessary. For that to happen, we need to be hands-on with technology and be familiar with the latest innovations.  

Here are the five ways of keeping yourself updated:

Let them teach you

If your children are way ahead of you in tech know-how, in most cases they are, let them teach you the nuances of that latest application or software upgrade or even how to surf and browse the Internet.

Playing or watching alongside your children can prove very beneficial both to you and your children. You will not only be able to keep abreast with new technology but will also be able to vet the content they are accessing. It is also a good way of spending time together, bonding, and showing that their world is interesting to you.

This will boost their confidence and give them a sense of importance while giving both the parents and the children more time to interact with each other and have a shared experience. 

Daily news

We all spend a considerable portion of our time consuming daily news and entertainment. While doing this you can devote a small portion of the time to staying up to date with technology news. 

For the best results, follow dedicated technology websites, YouTube channels, or their social media pages.

You can also subscribe to the social media pages of the big tech firms to get the latest updates.

To save time, select a few reputable sites and stick to them or subscribe to their newsletters.

Another highly effective way of finding out the latest is by following some popular tech influencers on social media.

How things work!

There are plenty of YouTube channels and websites that will give you an inside view of how things work and what is the latest happening in tech development and how it is relevant to us in our everyday life.

Dedicated media channels such as DW, Business Insider, Bright Side, etc. produce full-length documentaries as well as short videos on the inventions and innovations that we use daily at home and outside, and watching these alongside your children will be a good source of learning for the entire family.  

Short Courses

One way of keeping up with technology is by learning through short courses.

We all need continuous education in our fields of work as well as in other relevant streams to keep abreast with the progress that is happening around the world and to remain on top of our game.

These days, several tech and edu-tech firms offer free or cost-effective online classes, some of these courses also offer certification and can come in handy for your careers.

Educational platforms such as Skillshare and Udemy also offer interesting courses from leading institutions and experts.

You can also explore learning options available locally,  with many local colleges and universities offering short online courses. Some of India’s most reputed tech institutions such as IIT also offer short useful courses for people of all ages.

These courses not only help you understand the world around you but will also help you deal with your everyday activities which are getting increasingly tech-driven, such as banking, finding a house, shopping, booking a maid, etc.

TED Talk

If you want to learn anything, you will most certainly find a talk on the subject on the TED Talks. 

TED Talks attract the world’s best talents, speakers, educators, innovators, homemakers, scientists, teachers, etc. You name it and they will have it.

The beauty of a TED Talk is that it is simple, lucid, to the point and most importantly short. In 10-20 minutes, you will get some hang of the subject you have chosen and the speaker in most cases is among the best minds in the world. It’s like having a business conference at your fingertips without experiencing the daunting business-like atmosphere.   

To save time, you can curate your TED feed to focus on technology and innovation.

Listen to podcasts

If you want to save time further and you are somebody who enjoys learning on the go, then podcasts should be the best source of learning for you, not just for technology but also to keep yourself informed on all the fronts – cultural, social, spiritual, and political.

You can make your morning or evening walks more beneficial by listening to podcasts. You can also make your daily drive that much more interesting by traveling to and from work and listening to podcasts. The same goes for your time in the kitchen. An interesting podcast could some much needed spice to your cooking!

The podcast is among the most trending sources of learning these days and there are podcasts on literally every subject you can imagine. If you are interested, there are even podcasts serving virtual coding classes. 

More importantly, podcasts are free and can be accessed from any platform, anywhere, all you need is an Internet connection.  

Avoid the dross

New tools and inventions come almost every day and keeping yourself informed about everything are neither possible and necessary nor useful.

So, be clear on what you need and what is useful for you. When you explore new technologies see if it serves any of your current or future needs. Relevance is the key! 

Time is precious and limited, so spend time on seeking information that will benefit you as a parent, family, and responsible citizen.