Parenting in the Digital Age

5 things parents need to know about digital technology and their kids



What do you know about social media? Viber, whatsapp, Facebook, Snap Chat, Musica.ly? Some of them surely ring a bell. Like Facebook. Come on!

Well, you may not know a lot, but your children know about these services and they know how to use them.

In a not so distant past, the idea of having children use mobile phones and other devices was unheard off.

Today, however a five year old child knows how to operate different devices probably even better than his mom.



Technology is quite beneficial to your children as it will give them the exposure that they need. However, as fascinating as it is to know how to use the technology, this comes with its own set of challenges. It can simply be way to much. It is important for you to know how to monitor their activities.

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Source: madmamanyc.com

School is back in full swing for students across the country, as are the rotor blades of so-called “helicopter parents.”



While it can be beneficial in some aspects for parents to have a close relationship with their children, it can also cause harm when parents tend to hover close to their children, ready to rescue them at the first sign of difficulty or disappointment.

Laura Hamilton, an associate professor of sociology at the University of California and author of a new book, "Parenting to a Degree," says some parents provide so much financial, emotional and logistical support, it seems as if their children never left, according to her blog, "Families as they really are."

“There is some truth to the notion that helicoptered children are slow to adapt to adulthood,” Hamilton said. “Their academic success can come at the cost of self-development in other spheres.”

Chris Meno, a psychologist at Indiana University, wants students to find support and counsel within themselves, according to a recent IU newsletter.

"When children aren't given the space to struggle through things on their own, they don't learn to problem-solve very well,” Meno said. “They don't learn to be confident in their own abilities, and it can affect their self-esteem.”


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According to Hamilton, adults who extend parenting responsibilities to later in life end up “undermining their own financial security and draining emotional and psychological reserves.”

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Source: newsok.com

Online platforms in the digital age and the digital devices have heavily influenced the world and have formed the digital age among all teenagers’. Parents and their children now live in. Among 13- to 17-year-olds parents about 94% own a laptop or desktop computer; 72% use Facebook; 76% own a smartphone; and 84% visit online websites at occasionally. They usually utilize a smartphone, other mobile handheld device or a tablet.



Parenting in the digital age has become uneasy for today’s parents due to the technology challenges witnessed in this generation than any other before.

78 percent of surveyed by Family Online Safety Institute expressed that most parents think that technology positively affects their child’s future, life skills, and career. However, many are worried that as their children use more technology they become physically inactive.

Other parent technology advocacy groups suggest that an average of nine hours are spent with entertainment media by teens. For instance, the safety institute’s study has detailed how parents with between 6 and 17 aged kids have dealt with all that consumption. 87 percent of parents have set different kinds of rules for their children to follow in varied technology. Specifically, 19 percent of parents limit five hours or less per week their kids’ tech use. A little, 35 percent (more than one-third) set no restriction at all that their children should utilize.



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To contain this situation, several parents have taken different steps aimed at monitoring their child’s interactions.Such as, behavior in digital spaces. Personal monitoring has been seen as the most prominent among these steps. As 61% of parents have admitted that they examine fully the websites their teen visit. Another 60% admitted constantly examining the social media profile of their teens. In today’s modern world, teenagers are increasingly using various mobile technologies to share, go online and communicate. As a result, nearly 48% of parents admit that they constantly have to look through their child’s cell phone message or phone call records just to ensure they are safe as they navigate online.

Source: techinfographics.com

Using social media networks like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to catch up with your friends with what they are doing and how they are living their lives and how happy they are is not bad. Social Media Networks were created with this sole purpose in mind – to connect people and bring them together in a way that is stronger than face to face interaction.



Unfortunately, it is pretty evident from the time when Facebook initially came into being that it is not going to be used for its intended purpose, but for one that can make any parent’s health hazard alarm go crazy. With that being said, let’s focus on the issue at hand and see how being addicted to Facebook can harm your child’s life.

Before delving into the various facts about how to catch a Facebook addict in the act, the first thing is to see how bad things can get if your child indeed is addicted to Facebook. Here are a few of them: - It can create insecurities in your child for not having an exciting life like some of their peers do. - They can also suffer from body image issues by looking up pictures of girls and boys with perfect skin, hair, and style. - They can turn resentful and even hate their parents for not providing them with the things their peers have. - They lack online presence can take a toll on their social life and that may have a drastic impact on their real life as well, making them subdued and quiet and even withdrawn. - Facebook may turn your child into a compulsive liar in order to be socially relevant especially in their own circle of friends.



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Teens as old as 18 years of age even are quite impressionable and the sum of all the experiences they have can grave implications for the rest of their lives. This makes it your responsibility as parents to weed out all the problems from their lives and give them a chance to reach their full potential. With child cell phone monitoring app at your side, not only will you be able to see what your child has been doing online, but when push comes to shove, even stop the use altogether.

Source: theonespy.com

Many parents feel that screens have taken over their family’s lives. While few could argue about the benefits digital devices offer, as parents, it’s important that we establish guidelines for their use so they remain tools, rather than a source of endless distraction from real life.



Here are some tips for creating a life that balances online activities with those that can only take place in the 3-D world.

1. Talk — and listen. [...]

2. Model healthy habits. [...]

3. Establish rituals. [...]

4. Avoid heated negotiations. [...]

5. Invest time in connecting. [...]

6. Be fearless. [...]

7. Prepare for withdrawal. [...]



Parents today are dealing with a challenge that no other generation has faced. None of us were prepared to deal with the intense pull and highly addictive nature of what the online world has to offer. We’re all learning on the fly, trying to make sense of devices and online destinations that, in many cases, our children understand better than we do. As parents, we have an opportunity to guide our kids so that they can learn habits that help them make use of the digital world, without being swallowed whole by it.

Source: huffingtonpost.com

Technology in this digital age shouldn’t be a hurdle in raising kids. As a modern parent, I try my best to keep myself updated on the latest trend, not that I’m scared to be left behind – I just want to get ahead of my children to be able to guide them so they can simply have an authentic learning experience. For ages 4 and 6, they are absolutely brilliant.



I’ve always believed in “online netiquette” (thank you to the one who coined this term) which simply refers to the responsible use of our current technology to participate and connect with the global audience, irrespective of age. However, while technology presented itself as the most valuable innovation, it could also open a lot of risk opportunities when intentionally or unintentionally misused.



Most of us know that the cyber space can help anyone be creative and knowledgeable but on the flip-side, it can be a gateway to a horrific realm; dark web, bullying, child pornography, etc. This is where responsible parenting takes over. But what about finding balance in raising your kids despite having been caught up in the claws of these advancements?

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Source: visibleinternet.com

We live in the digital age: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Tinder, Email, Texts. It’s all there in our small, but powerful phones. I first wrote about these outlets in “I Have a Love-Hate Relationship with Selfies” and “10 Things I Wish Men Would Do in Their Tinder Profile.” Despite my lighthearted, joking manner in those posts, I continue to think about our digital age. What does it mean to live in the digital age? How do my relationships play out on social media? Why do I sleep with my phone? Should I cut back on my screen time, and if so, how? Why do I even use social media in the first place?



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Most of us agree on the negative aspects of the digital age. Thanks to e-mail, we are now connected to work 24/7. Texts and e-mails substitute real, face-to-face communication, often with the unforeseen consequences of detachment and misunderstanding. We live in an environment of instant gratification in the form of replies, likes, comments, shares, and retweets. Social media posts and online personas can be completely disconnected from reality, leaving us with the feeling of who knows what to believe anymore. As women, we are subjected to an endless amount of photoshopped images and unrealistic body expectations (I especially worry about my daughter on this point as she gets older). However, if we are able to filter through the bragging, posturing, gamesmanship, and political arguments, the benefits of social media far outweigh any of its disadvantages. And let’s face it, I can always count on something (usually funny animal videos) in Facebook to make me laugh.

I have to ask myself: What does the digital age mean for my children? They are growing up in such a different world from mine. I try to be a good Mom, by limiting their screen time and encouraging them to play and read more. For now, I skip all of the articles and discussions about pre-teens/teens and social media. That is a “down the road” issue. After all, my children are only 7 and 8 years old. They are not even on social media, yet. That must mean that I don’t have to worry about it. Wrong. Today marks the exact moment in which I should think about the digital age and their development.

There are two main reasons for this. First, if I am physically present, but mentally distracted, it communicates to my children that they are not important. Of course, none of us want our children to feel that way. Burying my nose in my devices sends the wrong message. Second, as a parent, I am a powerful role model for my children. Like it or not, my children see my use of technology and will seek to emulate it. Yikes! The other night I went to dinner with two friends and our children. On the way to dinner, I took my children’s devices, telling them that they can have one dinner without Minecraft, Pokemon Go, and YouTube. Yeah right, Mom! And then guess what happened? Within 10 minutes of sitting down at the table, I pulled out my phone (I “needed” to Google something). My other friend began to look at her device, too. Our third friend looked at us in disbelief and said, “Can I remind the two of you that you banned the kids from having their devices, but you are now on your phones?” She was absolutely right.



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She refers to the Goldilocks effect and how important it is to have — not too little, not too much, but just the right amount. Let’s not allow our “virtual hugs” and online conversations to replace real conversations and warm hugs. I know that I will really talk with my children and hug them a little tighter tonight. After they go to bed, I will be sure to embrace my solitude by unplugging from my devices.

Source: huffingtonpost.com

I’ve always had a hard time saying no. I’m a people pleaser. I don’t want anyone to be unhappy or angry at me. And I have a bleeding heart; I feel it when people are suffering, and I want to make it right. So I can’t help but reach out to anyone and everything, offer all that I can, and shove my own needs aside.



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I have thought I could change people just by virtue of empathy and love. But I could not. The only one who changed was me. I exhausted myself trying to help; I was crushed, depleted, a shadow of my former self. But recently, there has been a shift in me. I am choosing self-protection over self-sacrifice. Quite frankly, I’m done with that bullshit.

Of course, the shift had to happen as a result of a bit of a breakdown.

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I remember I was on my phone, answering an email or a text from one of the many jobs/volunteer gigs I was currently committed to, and my 3-year-old came up to me saying, “Mommy, put down your phone. I miss you.”

Tears filled my eyes. The most important commitment I had was right there at my feet, exuding love to me, even though I had been ignoring him for hours, weeks, months.

There is this internet meme going around that really speaks to me. It goes like this: “You can be a good person with a kind heart and still say no.” That’s going to be my mantra from now on. No matter what I do, I will always be kind. That’s not the thing I need to work on. It’s the saying no part that needs attention and care.

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Source: scarymommy.com