When parents talk about children and technology, the conversation often sounds like this:
“What’s a good app?” “Which platform should we allow?” “Is this game educational?” But there’s a more important question hiding underneath all of that:
What is my child actually doing with technology?
This is where projects change everything.
Apps are designed to be endless
Most apps are built around one goal: keeping users inside them for as long as possible.
- Auto-play
- Recommend the next thing
- Remove natural stopping points
This isn’t a moral judgement. It’s just how they’re designed.
The problem is that endless systems train endless behaviour. Children keep scrolling because there’s no clear moment to stop.
Projects work differently.
Projects have a beginning, middle, and end
A project asks a simple question:
“What are you trying to make?”
That might be:
- A short podcast episode
- A simple game
- A poster
- A story
- A stop-motion animation
Once that goal exists, everything changes.
There’s a reason to start. There’s something to work towards. And eventually, there’s a natural moment to stop.
This is why projects quietly solve the screen-time problem without turning it into a battle.
Why focus improves when kids work on projects
When children work on projects, they:
- Make decisions
- Solve small problems
- Adjust when things don’t work
This kind of thinking pulls them into deeper focus. It’s not passive. It’s active.
And importantly, it builds the kind of attention that transfers to other areas of life, like learning, reading, and problem-solving.
Projects don’t need to be impressive
One of the biggest mistakes parents make is thinking projects need to be big, polished, or clever. They don’t.
A “finished” project might be:
- A one-minute audio recording
- A game with one level
- A poster with rough ideas
- A story that never gets published
The value isn’t in the outcome. It’s in the process of starting, working, adjusting, and finishing.
That process is where learning lives.
Why children don’t need to love it straight away
Some children dive in immediately. Others hesitate. That’s normal.
Creative work often feels unfamiliar at first, especially for kids who are used to instant entertainment. This doesn’t mean the idea has failed. It means they’re doing something different.
Often, enjoyment comes after momentum, not before it.
From “What app should we use?” to “What should we make?”
This shift is subtle, but powerful.
Instead of asking “What’s a good app?” try asking:
- “What could you build?”
- “What would you like to make?”
- “What could this turn into?”
When technology becomes a place for projects, it stops being just a distraction. It becomes a tool.
The long-term payoff
Children who grow up using technology to make things develop confidence in their ideas, comfort with problem-solving, and pride in finishing work. They don’t just use technology. They shape it.
This project-based approach is at the heart of Better Tech Kids, where I walk through practical ways families can support meaningful making at home without needing technical expertise.
Technology will always offer quick entertainment. Projects offer something better: a sense of purpose.