Tech and Its Positive Affect on Your Family

Is your family embracing the tech of the future? Here’s how today’s contemporary technology will have a positive impact on your family tomorrow.

Virtual Bedtime Stories

Samsung recently released a new kind of virtual reality technology. Created for parents and children, Samsung’s live virtual reality bedtime storytelling app, which is called Bedtime VR Stories, is designed to have the child and parent read together inside of a virtual world when they can’t be together physically. Each would wear a virtual reality headset that allows parents and kids to talk to each other and view the same story. Although it’s considered to still be in beta, virtual reality storytelling is great for parents who travel for work and cannot always be home to tuck in their kiddos at night, having an overall positive affect on your family — wherever you may be.

Smart Home Technology

Produced by LeVar Burton, the Disney Channel movie “Smart House” wasn’t too far off in predicting the future of today’s contemporary smart homes. Devices like smart thermostats or air quality monitors, smart refrigerators and automated home systems are already in use today. When it comes to parenting, any savvy trick or smart device that can make everyday activities a little easier is appreciated. That’s why we think smart home appliances and devices will have a positive affect on your family. With a smart thermostat like Nest you won’t have to worry if you’ve adjusted the air after you’ve already left the house — simply use your smartphone to adjust the controls. And if you forgot your grocery list at home, today’s smart appliances like the Samsung Family Hub can give you a look inside your home’s refrigerator, allowing you to see if you need to pick up eggs and milk.

Smartwatches

Wearables are great for tracking your health or checking your emails and texts on the go. But today’s smartwatches are also great for keeping an eye on your kids. These wearable devices make communication between child and guardian simple. Wearables like the Apple Watch can make it easy to know where your kids are at all times if you’re the type of parent who uses a tracking app. It could also have health benefits, too. The World Health Organization states that childhood obesity is a serious health challenge. More kids are overweight now more than ever. The Apple Watch’s gamification of health data may just encourage kids to get moving.

3-D Printing

Like some of the other technology items on this list, 3-D printing is already in use today. But 3-D printing technology isn’t really used by the average consumer. However, it’s estimated to only become more commonplace in more and more homes during the next few years. Products like wine holders, shoes and cookie cutters are being made with 3-D printing technology. Experts from the 3-D printing industry say that these techy printers require extensive knowledge to operate. And they aren’t cheap either. Yet once the technology is perfected and simplified, consumers are more likely to have 3-D printers in their homes. These printers can be used to make replacements of everyday items around the home, gifts for the holidays, replicas of products available for sale in the retail world and new inventions, too. Jerry Grauman, production manager for Robo3D, told Consumerist that these machines are teaching kids that they can build more things on their own. It’s true that these printers can foster activity, but only time will tell if they become an everyday home item of the future.