Making the Internet Work for Your Family

Not many of us can imagine living without the internet. From online gaming and streaming TV to using our smartphones and home digital assistants, we use the internet for far more than we think. When you have found providers that offer the best cox internet deals on the market, the options as to what you can do using the internet are unlimited. With that, though, you also find that there are a lot of scaremongering stories about the internet, making us unhappy, stupid, or both. But this is quite an extreme view to take when it comes to something that ultimately makes family life much easier overall. Read below to discover how to make the internet work best for your family. 

Check Your Speed 

One of the most annoying things about home internet is not actually being able to use it. If you’ve experienced disconnection problems with games or had to wait for videos to buffer, then you know how annoying that is. It’s likely that your broadband isn’t handling all the activity very well. There are online tools you can use to check the speed of your internet and compare this against your contract. You may be unsure of which broadband you need so that the annoying buffering doesn’t happen again; to understand more about your family’s broadband requirements give this simple video from Hoppy a go – it breaks down what you need to know about internet speeds. If you find that your current contract doesn’t match your needs, don’t be afraid to switch – you might just save yourself some money!

Set Rules

The internet is a great resource for learning and entertainment but it’s important to take breaks from it. Some of us are spending too much time online and some children don’t know how to occupy themselves without it. It’s a good idea to limit internet usage for children and teens in order to encourage them to partake in other activities. Set a limit you’re comfortable with and encourage development of other hobbies, this can be anything from sport and art to reading and cooking. The rules can also apply to adults as we could all spend a little less screen time. 

Family Time 

Just like rules about screen time, it’s similarly important to schedule family activities that aren’t centered around a screen. Movie night is a staple in many households but why not mix it up a little with something different? Moving around is vital for health and can be made fun for the whole family. Park and wood walks can be turned into educational opportunities by looking out for different animals and plants, plus you’ll be getting that step count up. Activities that get everyone communicating and interacting are most beneficial as it gives the whole family a chance to catch up, talk about anything important, and most importantly – have fun!

There’s no point in demonizing the internet as it’s an invaluable resource in so many ways. Instead, it’s worth taking a little time and care to make sure that it’s working in the best way possible for the whole family.