How to Use Technology to Improve Family Life

Technology is an inescapable part of our everyday lives. There's a gadget or app to do pretty much everything.  Smart speakers are becoming a feature in the home, controlling our lights, doing our shopping and telling us the weather forecast. All of the advances in technology can be a time saver and make life easier when used properly.

On the other hand, technology can also create problems. It has been linked with childhood and adult obesity, the breakdown of face to face communication and many other problems.  This article takes a look at the pros and cons and demonstrates How To Use Technology to Improve Family Life.

Get Fit and Stay Healthy

Too much screen time has been linked to obesity and listening to loud music can give you tinnitus. However, using technology to track and improve your fitness is now much easier and cheaper.   Using a fitness tracker or health watch encourages us to move around more. Research has shown that using a fitness tracker on a daily basis, can increase the number of steps you take per day by more than a mile.  

These trackers and companion apps can help us track and improve a number of health points including: 

• Steps
• Exercise
• Calories burned
• Heart rate
• Sleeping patterns
• Weight
• Blood pressure
• Fertility and menstrual cycles
• Diet
• Water intake

In 2019, the National Centre For Health Statistics estimated that almost 40% of adults in the United States were classed as obese.  A sedentary lifestyle and unhealthy eating habits have made the current generations the unhealthiest since records began.  

Never before has society had the tools to track and improve their health to this extent?  The internet itself holds a wealth of information, inspiration and exercise programs. Never has so much information been available to us to take control of our health.  

Improve your knowledge

The current situation has resulted in many schools being closed and having to find ways to empower parents to home school their children.  Technology has been instrumental in this. 

Classes, resources and communication can be done through online learning portals.  Learning can be made to be fun, and children can learn at their own pace. Outside of the school system, the opportunity to acquire knowledge is everywhere, even on a smartphone in the palm of our hands.  

The rise of Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) now enable anyone to study with the best educational establishments in the world.  From wine tasting to artificial intelligence, you no longer have to be in a formal educational environment. You can complete a degree without even having to set foot inside a university. 

Keeping us safe

Perhaps one of the most important uses of technology is its ability to improve our safety.  There are many ways it does this:

• Our homes and vehicles - alarms which monitor fire, carbon monoxide and security.   The safety features in our cars which can prevent or keep us protected in the event of an accident.  
• Personal safety - personal alarms, mobile apps that let us locate family members if they go missing, and the ability to contact emergency services if we are in danger. 
• Online safety - reducing the threat of online stalking and grooming, protecting our children from unsuitable content and ourselves from identity theft and fraud. 

Organizing your family life

Modern family life is hectic.  Between work, school and all of our other commitments, keeping track of everything and running a household can be exhausting.  Things slip through the cracks and it can feel like a constant battle to keep on top of things.  

Luckily, there are now many ways you can keep all of your plates spinning.  A shared family organization app like Picniic can be a lifesaver.  You can all access a shared calendar, update shopping lists, keep important information and to-do lists.  

Improve wider family relationships

Families don't always live close to each other now.  Your extended family could be in another state or even another country.  Thanks to the advancements in technology, our family members are now no more than a text, email or video call away.  We can communicate with them in real-time, rather than waiting for a letter or a monthly long-distance phonecall. Building connections within the immediate and wider family is great for the cognitive and social development of children.  

The takeaway

Yes, there are some downsides to the prevalence of technology in our lives, but like many things, it's how you use it that makes a difference.  By utilizing technology in a positive way, you can improve your family's health and wellbeing for the long term.  

So Tell Me...

How have you used technology to Improve Family Life? Do set limits around screen time? Have you taken any online courses? Do you use a fitness tracker?

Thank you so much for stopping by! As always, I would love to hear your thoughts in the comments section below. Have a great week!