In an era where social media’s pull on our children is stronger than ever, parents are seeking new strategies to counter its pervasive influence. In this article, Sadhguru explores practical and impactful ways to engage young minds, pulling their focus from the virtual to the vitality of nature. Embark on a journey to discover parenting techniques for the digital age that promise to reconnect our kids with the wonder of real-life experiences.
Questioner: Namaskaram, Sadhguru. How can we as parents protect our children from the negative effects of social media?
Sadhguru: If you want your children to grow up without social media, you could send them to us by the time they are six years of age. We are bringing up children with a different sense of life and great enthusiasm for life without being involved in those kinds of things. But, social media need not be all negative – it can be a tremendous technology and possibility to reach a maximum number of people.
I myself am on social media, but not because I am seeking any response or approval. I say what I have to say, whether someone approves of it or not. I say what I see as true, regardless of the consequences. This is the position that I have taken: shedding light on everything is more important in the long term than pleasing everyone.
When you say what you see as true, it may not be immediately appreciated, but maybe it will be in five, ten, or a hundred years. Historically, most human beings who were of a certain profoundness were only recognized long after their death. That is how the world has been until recently. Today, because of social media, there is a certain level of acceptance while you are still alive.
Social media per se is not an evil force. It depends on how and for what purpose we use it. Children (and adults) are influenced by social media simply because that may be the most exciting thing that is happening in their lives. One thing you can do is to make yourself so exciting for the child that they would rather be with you than keep staring at the phone. People ask me, “Sadhguru, how can I make my child look up to me?” I said, “You must become a superstar in their mind.”
You must do whatever you have to do. If dancing makes you a superstar in their eyes, you must dance. If it is singing, you must sing. You must do whatever they think is super. This is part of the responsibility of bringing a new life into the world, which is much more than a reproductive activity. Other creatures just have to deliver their offspring and, in the initial stages, provide food.
Every other creature naturally becomes what it has to become irrespective of its upbringing. But human beings come largely unformed in many respects, which is the beauty of a human being – we can consciously make ourselves in a certain way. At birth, only a few parameters are fixed; the rest is open to nurture and influence. Consequently, giving birth to a human being is a much greater responsibility.
One simple thing you can do is engage the child from an early age as much as possible with natural elements. Instead of taking them to the cinema or shopping mall, or turning on the television, take them for a walk in the forest. If you are living in a city and there is no forest near you, you could get them a grasshopper as a pet to start with.
It is crucial for children to get engaged with and respond to life. If you have a pet, you have to pay attention. It is necessary to understand their likes and dislikes and to manage everything for them. It is a good training for having good relationships. It needs a lot of observation and involvement.
Children need to grow up with this involvement. Instead of taking them to a shopping place on the weekend, venture out to natural surroundings outside your city. If you look with open eyes, you will see there is an incredible amount of life. Your child will naturally be interested in all these things, whether it is a bug, a grasshopper, or an earthworm.
You must get them involved with life because that is the healthiest association you can make. They are life, and they always thrive best with involvement and engagement with life. Right now, human society is largely preoccupied with thoughts, emotions, prejudices, ideas, philosophies, ideologies, and belief systems. This is what most human beings have become, and social media is full of that. Instead, children must engage with life.
Once there is a certain involvement and engagement with life, nothing else is as entertaining. When children experience this from an early age, they will not get addicted to anything and remain open to life.
