And the amount of your child’s screen time may seem a little over the top? Perhaps you’ve tried to limit your child’s exposure to screens and the virtual world? If this hasn’t worked to your expectations, that’s understandable: having this kind of control over your child everywhere and all the time is impossible.

Fortunately, there are also positive aspects to the digital world, and several educational aspects of its use exist. Your child can benefit from those and use their phone time wisely.

In this article, we’d like to give you an overview of the various possibilities offered by digital technology, so that your child can make the most of it and grow with their time.

The positives behind social network

Social networks are international, so your child will be exposed to several languages simply by using them. They can follow the steps of an English-speaking cooking recipe through a video, skim the text of a German-speaking influencer’s new post, or memorise the lyrics of a viral song in Italian.

Without necessarily realising it, your child is improving their skills in these languages. The magic of repetition operates elsewhere than when revising countless lines of vocabulary for school. The learning isn’t as obvious, but the results will show: your child makes progress thanks to written and audiovisual content.

Just as it is the case in life, all tastes and colours are catered for on the Internet! Getting inspired is part of the game. Influencers and other active users share content full of knowledge and culture every day, such as literary and film reviews, opinions on current affairs, advice on how to become a more eco-responsible citizen. Some of these topics will inspire your child. They’ll probably decide to read that book, watch that series or, who knows, teach you how to sort your waste more effectively? All the advice they will follow is at their fingertips. The best thing about this kind of inspiration is the diversity of languages of the revues they read and follow. They’ll have plenty of opportunities to improve their language skills, for example in German with this book, or in Spanish with this series, or in English by following the BBC news.

Educational mobile applications

There are an incredible number of mobile applications available. Your child is spoilt for choice, to say the least! Some are highly educational. Here too, the range is huge, with applications:

• dedicated to language learning,
• filled with revision courses in countless subjects,
• for a writing assistance (not just a spell-checker),
• packed with interactive quizzes,
• full of lectures from international experts in fields as varied as politics, economics, business or cooking!

Encouraging your child to use these types of applications is very educational. The people who develop them know their target audience and how to be stimulating and encouraging. They are also often appreciated by younger audiences because they are recreational.

Digital at the heart of summer camp programmes

Mastering digital technology and its abuses are also subjects addressed by our education partners. Many summer camps offer programmes to help you better understand the era in which we live and use digital technology as a steppingstone for success. Here are two examples of new programmes developed for Summer 2023:

Is your child interested in journalism or content creation? The Breaking Digital programme has been designed to equip students with the skills and know-how to critically challenge and interpret information, data and news in order to arrive at a balanced view on global ‘big issues’. The course will also teach students how best to communicate creatively their own ideas and opinions to the widest target audience. Students will harness technical skills in creating video, audio, and text output to bring political, cultural, and social discussion to the table. The ideal course to learn about the role the internet plays in society, and how it could shape the future.

Does your child want to become an influencer or pursue a career in digital marketing? The Social Media Influencer programme will teach how to build a trusted brand with insights into digital marketing such as social media, mail-shots… They’ll improve their communication skills and learn what practices to adopt in their professional activity. All in an inspiring setting abroad, guaranteeing safety, education and fun.

Are you worried about the amount of time your child spends in front of a screen, about the place of the virtual in their daily lives? It’s only natural. We understand you too, and at EDUCOM we experience the same fear with our own children. This article attempts to establish a more reassuring dimension of its use: exposure to several languages, openness to suggestions of international works, educational mobile applications… Instructive and digital examples that have a positive impact on your child.

The key is to provide quality support for your child. This support can be provided by yourself, by family and friends or, as we have seen, by professionals in the world of education. We believe that it is important to navigate the virtual world while being aware of the potential dangers and the underlying functions.

At EDUCOM, we are committed to providing educational solutions that combine digital technology and education. The solutions we have discussed in this article are just a few examples. Contact us for further advice and tailor-made solutions for your child.