Good evening ladies and gentlemen and welcome to the annual parenting conference. As a psychologist for 25 years, I have witnessed many cases concerning teenagers and there misbehaviors. In relevance to the recent debate, on whether parents should exercise more controls on their children has caught my full attention. Teenagers in modern society are losing their sense of respect and parents are needed to guide them to make the correct choices. As I speak, relationships between children and parents are starting fall.
Although this may result in lack of freedom, since when was it being suggested that we should take their individuality away from them? I feel it is time that parents should take more control over their children’s lives. The definition of being social used to be playing a game of basketball, or going for a bike ride with some friends. However in modern society, sitting in front of a television for hours and playing games such as ‘Call of Duty’, is the new definition of being social.
Apparently average Australian teenagers under the age of 18 now spend 25 hours a week gazing at a television or video screen; this alarming statistic has been caused by a decreased amount of outdoor social activities. Who’s job? The parents of course. Methods such as, not initially buying a video game for the kids to play, or simply forcing the children to go out and participate in socially active activities, can reduce this horrifying statistic.
These days, due to a lack of parental control, the relationships between children and their parents are declining. When we used to be children, technology available now did not exist back then, first thing we did when we came back home was have hour long conversations with our parents and do some chores around the house. Parents ask yourself, what does your child do when they come home? From my experience as a psychologist, they most likely dump their bags on the ground, run into their room and logon to social networking websites such as Facebook.
Where is the respect? How are you being appreciated with the resources that you are providing them with? Simplistic approaches like, removing the computer or laptop away from their room, and overall exerting more control, can result in a better relation. Although an increase of parental control could result in a suppression of individuality, it is not being asked that you should give no freedom at all, but to limit it to a certain extent instead.
By limiting the freedom of a child, does not mean anything like, no more Facebook or eradicating there right to do what they want or play a video game, but instead creating a boundary. Furthermore, the result of this method will not lead to any negative effects as my studies have reached the conclusion that setting guidelines will have a positive outcome. Ladies and gentlemen, the proposal to stress more control over children’s lives should go on ahead.
Such a consideration can result in a more socially active child, meaning participating in outdoor activities. Also more control could lead to a better relationship between your child and yourself. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not asking to completely suppress their individuality, and removing there freedom, but instead to put a limit to what they have right now. I hope this speech has altered your thinking a little bit, and I would like to thank-you for listening to my opinion. Thank You Yash Pubby
