Studies have shown that kids are connected; some might say more connected ever before. According to the Pew Research Center, 72% of all teens spend time with friends via social media; 23% do so daily. Technology has undoubtedly revolutionized how we think about social relationships and connections; today’s kids cannot even imagine a world where immediately communicating with friends and family wasn’t possible.
But with the fear of too much “screen time” and myths that all television dumbs down the information kids receive, technology offers promising effects inside and out of the classroom. Technology platforms that seek to serve a greater purpose, like Project Giving Kids, become an opportune way for parents to leverage technology use in helping their kids to develop empathy skills and important social connections off-screen.
Finding ways for kids to connect with one another, learn about community causes and find out how they can make an impact in their community is one way that technology has worked to help make the world a better place. More specifically, today’s kids thrive on being able to find things out as soon as they think of them, to learn about them and to be able to share them with their friends. Why should service be any different?
Very few online platforms are able to leverage this social communication in a fun, but educational format. Service learning and doing kind things for others is essential for promoting a more caring, kind, and informed generation of leaders and policy makers. It’s also a great way to build emotional intelligence.
Encourage your kids and teenagers to form social connections by having them find great activities on PGK’s website or in the Give Back App. They can share them with their friends and start volunteering together, host a food drive together, or even just learn about great causes in their community! And they can track their hours for school. Using PGK’s technology, your kids can give back while forming important social connections with their peers.
Download the Give Back App for iPhone »
