Paradise Under Your Feet — Page 95
Chapter 5: Middle School Years 95 is also a very harmful thing, due to which children lose all good sense and get involved in wrongdoings, so avoid this. ” 5. 11 One way to handle this is to make rules for cell phone use and discuss limits and boundaries, especially concerning downloading of ‘ apps ’ with children. At this age, parents should reserve the right to spot check their texts and messages occasionally. No doubt a computer is a necessity these days, but a 6th grader or a 7th grader may not need an email account. Many parents seem to fall into peer pressure themselves when their children want a high-tech gadget because their own friends ’ children have them. Children should be taught the importance of live , face - to - face communication rather than th e kind that is achieved through emails or text ing. There is no dearth of information available about the dangers of social media, such as Facebook. Khalifatul - Masih V (aba) has clearly given directives against the use of social media such as Facebook. Parents should teach children to use technology in a way that does not hinder the Islamic way of life. Television is another source that can introduce non-Islamic values into a household, which can have an adverse effect on the upbringing of righteous children. Today, almost everyone has access to Cable television or Satellite TV. There are a greater number of channels to choose from but if one is not careful, children may be exposed to programs which are not in line with Islamic values and teachings. Granted that there are many educational channels such as Discovery, National Geographic, History, etc. , however, even some seemingly innocent children ’ s shows may not represent the best moral values. Thus, the parent has to be vigilant about what ever the children are watching on television and should point o ut the good values being exhibited therein , especially those that are also Islamic, as well as those that are not Islamic.