Parenting in a digital age is not as easy as it seems. Almost every parent probably has a child that has asked them to look for gaming computers for sale or other handheld devices like smartphones and tablets.
However, as harmless as it may seem, you cannot just leave your children by themselves exposed to everything that the interwebs have to offer. You need to be vigilant with their online behavior and activities to ensure that they have a safe and pleasant online experience every time.
Parenting Lessons in a Digital World
Lesson #1: Parents can use their own real-world experiences to help their children navigate through the digital world and create a lasting positive impact on them.
Not all parents are tech-savvy. In most cases, the children have a better handle on technology than their folks. Even if that were the case, parents can still guide their children’s screen time and create a lasting impact on how they process things and information. Parents can provide valuable insight into how to detect red flags and other subtle indicators of danger.
Lesson #2: Cultivating a culture of asking for permission by asking children to post their photos online can help kids become more thoughtful about posting and sharing.
If parents want their children to be mindful and thoughtful about what they post online, they need to model the behavior they want their kids to display. Monkey see, monkey do. If you cultivate a culture of asking for permission at home, it is going to resonate with them and make them think twice about whether what they’re about to post is acceptable or not.
Similarly, if you also want your children to have a good balance between their online and offline involvements, you as a parent should also monitor how much time you’re spending on your digital devices. It starts with your leadership.
Lesson #3: Parents need to judge less about how other parents are doing with their kids’ screen time and instead create more opportunities for dialogue for each others’ benefits.
One of the biggest mistakes that most parents make is to compare themselves with the way other parents raise their kids. This also includes comparing how they manage their kids’ screen time. Whether you think you’re doing a better job or not, it is best not to judge other people’s parenting styles. Instead, you should create a dialogue with them and see how you all can learn from each other in raising your kids in as safe a digital environment as possible.
Lesson #4: Digital etiquette is a topic that parents should discuss with their children and not veer away from.
It falls to parents to instill the right values in their children as early as possible. This also includes the right values and etiquette when it comes to their online behavior. Parents need to establish healthy boundaries that their children need to observe in their online activities. This helps ensure they have pleasant interactions with others, safer online activities, and gives parents greater peace of mind.
Lesson #5: Technology is no longer just for video games or mindless web surfing. Children now use it to connect with their friends meaningfully and spend time with them.
Before the pandemic, kids had no problem with social interaction. Now, it is a lot harder for them to connect with others and build meaningful relationships. For this reason, a lot of kids nowadays use technology to connect and interact with their friends. Allow them some online time to nurture their friendships to help them avoid feelings of loneliness and isolation.
Lesson #6: Parents should meaningfully engage their kids in conversations about their texting and social media activities.
Parents nowadays act more as pals than parents. This is the reason why a lot of kids can walk all over their parents today. As a parent, you need to establish that you are first and foremost a dad or mom. Do not be afraid to engage them in a hard conversation. As a parent, it is your right to know how your kids spend their time online. It is not to restrict them, but it is to ensure that they have a healthy sense of online activity. Explain to them the dangers that lurk in the interwebs and encourage transparency and accountability at home. Patiently lay down why boundaries are important and how they can protect and save them from potential threats.
As parents, we need to be more involved and vigilant with our children’s online activities. Just because they’re not physically exposed to the dangers of the outside world does not mean they’re safe from the virtual world’s dangers.