"Smart" Baby Tech Is Changing Parenting, but for the Better?

A lot has changed for new parents today and it might leave us a bit bewildered. New smart technology is changing the way moms and dads embrace the world of parenting and, while the tech is impressive, is it necessary?

When our children were babies, if we wanted to know how they were doing through the night, we snuck into their bedroom, hoped the floor didn't creak, and laid our eyes on them. If we wanted to know if our baby’s diaper was soiled, we smelled it or peeked in. We checked the temperature of the milk or formula by putting a little bit on our wrist. We looked for cues from our baby to know when they were hungry and how much they needed to eat. And when our baby wouldn't sleep during the night? We went in and rocked them back to sleep. All of these seemingly normal things are no longer necessary for parents today, thanks to advances in smart technology, highlighted in a BBC article.

Monitors have been around for a long time now, first sound and then video, and now smart monitors. If you've babysat for a grandbaby recently, you've probably been impressed by what baby monitors can do. Now there are monitors that babies can wear that tell parents the baby's oxygen level, heart rate and temperature. This "sock monitor" is quite convenient for the anxious parent and eliminates the need to check on the baby as much. There is a device that tells parents when the diaper has been soiled to help cut down on diaper rashes and urinary tract infections. Baby bottles now can tell you the temperature of the milk, the angle of the bottle and how much baby drinks. If you are breastfeeding, you can check Majka for tips on increasing milk supply.

While all these gadgets are impressive, are they needed? We managed to raise our kids without all this technology and they turned out just fine, right? Millennials have grown accustomed to technology being intertwined in all facets of their lives, so for them, having this technology follow them into parenting must seem completely normal.

Depending on the person, it could be argued that access to so much data could make one more anxious, but for others it may help alleviate anxiety. And perhaps all these gadgets may cause parents to become a bit disconnected from their baby, as the technology takes away the need for parents to learn about their baby by intuition. These gadgets are naturally expensive, so affordability may also be a big part of whether parents adopt this parenting trend.

Smart baby technology is another way in which generations differ and who is to say what's better? If we had access to all of this technology when we were raising our children, we may have jumped on board too.

What do you think about all of this? Comment below!

 




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