Family Technology Plan

Technology: Be Intentional

Proverbs 29:18 “Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.”

Technology can be used for many different purposes, and there are many different ways to access technology. Being intentional about how you and your family will approach the topic of technology can help ensure technology is seen with a proper perspective. This Family Technology Plan resource is meant to help with this intentionality. It is not meant to be exhaustive in nature, but it is meant to give guidance and begin discussion for families in these areas. Technology is neither good nor evil-it can be used for both. It is also important to recognize the different uses of technology, from typing a school paper to reading an e-book to watching TV to viewing inappropriate material. It is helpful to identify ways technology can be used for evil and engage in ways to teach and protect against those things in your home. It is equally important to identify how your family will engage technology in the areas that are both good and grey (morally neutral) such as using a tablet to read an e-book.

• What aspects of technology do you consider good, evil, and grey (morally neutral)?
• How much of your child’s day do you want him/her interacting with technology?
  • How much time will your child need to spend interacting with technology to complete necessary tasks? (i.e., school work)
  • How much time do you want technology to be used for pleasure or relaxation? (i.e., learning about trivial things, engaging social media, reading/listening to/watching things they are interested in)

Training Your Child:

Deuteronomy 6:4-9 “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord: And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes. And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates.”

A consistent thread throughout Scripture is that God uses challenges and trials to train His children. Parenting is both a joy and a challenging journey. One of the aspects of parenting that makes the journey both full of joy and full of challenge is navigating the shift from a helpless infant to a person who has their own thoughts, beliefs, and ability to engage those thoughts and beliefs. Through this journey the parent is encouraged to “train up a child” (Proverbs 22:6) so the child is able to know and follow God’s commandments as they get older. This journey is often full of disagreements between the parent and child about how much freedom vs. parental oversight is needed. The child often feels more confident to engage in choices and challenges than they should, and often the parent has difficulty giving additional freedoms to a child who is still growing and maturing. Technology can be a battleground for parents and children. This is why it is so important to start engaging this topic while your child is young and continue to see the topic as an opportunity to train your child in truth throughout their life.

• How will you train your child to think about technology?
• How will you teach your child to avoid evil, engage good, and develop self-control?
• Communication and modeling are two significant aspects of training and teaching.
  • How, when, and with what frequency will you communicate with your child concerning the topic of technology?
  • What and how will you model what you desire to grow in your child? (consider the teaching above in

Questions to Consider When Developing a Family Technology Plan:

1. Are you developing a proactive or reactive technology plan for your family?
2. How many devices connect to media? (radio, TV, internet, Alexa, Google devices)
3. What are the types of devices used in your home? (TV, game systems, computer, tablet, phone, Alexa, Google devices,etc.)
4. What are the ages of children in your home?
5. What do you want your kids to view/hear?
6. How much time each week would you like your whole family to be together?
7. What do you want your family interaction to look like when your family is together?
8. Three questions to consider for your child’s time interacting with technology:
9. When will they be able to access technology?
10. Where will they access it from?
11. Who will be accessing technology with them (parent, friends, alone) and what determines which is appropriate?
12. Are there different levels of accessibility for individuals in the home? (i.e., what devices does the 4 yr. old get to access vs. the 9 yr. old vs. the 16 yr. old vs. the 20 yr. old vs. the parent?)
13. What determines how much media access an individual can have? (age, maturity, ability to manage free time, desire to access, etc.)
14. How will you allow greater access to technology but also maintain the ability to monitor and protect the family?
15. How do you want to limit visitors to your home and their access to your technology?

To view the Family Technology Plan package, click here.

To view the Family Technology Plan Booklet, click here.

---

Further Information

Dynamite In Your Hands 
The following PDF resource is designed to help parents begin a conversation with their children about the goodness, dangers, and readiness of having a smartphone. Permission granted from Christ Community Church.

Tech & Kids Podcast Series
Parenting our children through the highs and lows of our technological world can be a challenge. In this two-part podcast series, each episode provides us with four helps- Instructive, Protective, Engaging, & Redeeming.

Additional resources regarding the usage of technology referenced in the Tech & Kids Podcast- Part 2.
Data Collection and Privacy Concerns
Privacy & Safety for Families
Social Media Risks & Tips

Print This Article