Digital Parenting and Keeping Up With Social Apps
Unplug during mealtime. Be the role model. |
How are parents supposed to keep up with the ever-growing social-app age?
Offline parenting is your best tool to online safety and helping your teen's make better choices when you are not with them.
Having the tech talk is not like the sex talk.
Talking about your child's digital life is a daily chat - one you should have frequently. It should be as common as how was your day at school.
Ask them:
- Have you discovered any new apps lately? Any new sites?
- Any new friends online? Remind them about pause before posting.
Ask them to help you with your technology.
Be an interested and involved parent. You need to build their trust and open lines of communication.
One of the main reasons teens don't tell a parent or adult that they are being harassed online is the fear that the parent will make things worse for them - either by embarrassment or taking their oxygen away (their devices).
Keep in mind parents, as you are monitoring your teens, they are also watching your online social behavior.
Keep in mind parents, as you are monitoring your teens, they are also watching your online social behavior.
Be an educated parent, you will have safer teens - offline and online.