There is no doubt that being a parent means exhilaration and terror combined. Among my older children, now adults, significant interpersonal bonds and sense of self are being established by close relationship with nature. They took trails hikes, mountain climbs and sat by riversides, finding inner quietness away from the digital panic that is a larger feature of today's life. But as my youngest navigates her teenage years, I find myself facing a new challenge: She now seems to be more attached to the glowing screen of her smartphone instead of the real world. This makes me want to know whether she will also find her own bonding with nature or gets distanced from nature through VR.

The pros and cons of the Digital Age 
It is indisputable that smartphones and digital technologies have indeed revolutionized the whole way in which we do almost all our activities in our lives. Generations Y and Z need not only communication devices but also access to the online social environment that makes them feel connected. On the other hand, the situation where people are connected every minute is not free. Research revealed that some of the kids who are overwhelmed with screen time can no longer concentrate, are unable to sleep properly, and their ability to do deep thinking is less.  

The Call of the Wild 
 One of the most captivating and insightful novels of all time is complete opposite, nature provides another sort of interaction. Nature educates us to be patient and adaptive, surrounds us with beauty and peaceful atmosphere, and gives way to mental relaxation and physical activity. My elder kids rediscovered things about themselves that they did not know were stashed in drawers, based on the integration and engagement of their mind and body that electronics never can provide.
 

Bridging the Gap
It is the dilemma of building the bridges between these two worlds for my youngest daughter. She is deeply implicated in technology, and I wonder what to do, because I could simply reject it as useless entertainment? The striking element might consist in fusion rather than in conflict. undefined


Tech-Free Zones:
Having specific break times through the day or tech-free activities planned during the family time would reduce the effect of the phone, where the eyes and mind will be more focused on each other.

Incorporate Tech in Nature:
Do not consider technology as enemy but as nature' effector which will enhance experiencing the unknown. These apps like a plant identifier, star identifier or wildlife identifier can make that hike more surprising and educative.

Model Behavior: 
Through observing what is happening around them, children get some information. I can set an example to others by intentionally putting aside my gadgets for long hours to appreciate the beauty that the outdoors has to offer.

Digital Detox Retreats: 
Planning for family trips that involve nature and offer minimal hands-on use of gadgets can be a nice activity for every member of the family to check out of mobile devices and do bonding at the same time.

Education: 
During this lesson, I explained to her about the effects of too much screen time that are associated with psychological and physical health which might make her more diligent in her habits.

Conclusion
As I consider these options, I come to a conclusion that what I am seeking is not to take her phone away by force but to expose her to the outside world which can engage even better than her screen. By creating an ambience that showcases digital devices as being tools rather than objects which are attached, I desire to promote her to discover and understand the world in a very broad sense. Maybe the woods, by the rivers, or the huge sky full of stars will teach her to see the aspects of her personality that today's digital environment has covered too much.