Parents’ philosophies on the digital safety of their children is as different as, well, parental philosophies on parenting. I have friends who share every single aspect of their child’s life on social media, starting with the first sonogram. Every milestone, from their first steps to their first day of school is immortalized on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram for all to see. I’m waiting to hear about the first mom to Meerkat her child’s birth.
For me, the issue extends beyond digital safety; it’s more about the decisions you are making about your child’s digital history. I’m by nature an over-sharer, I work in social media and I share just about everything with the exception of sex, politics and religion. I don’t dare imagine what I would have shared about my tots on Facebook had it been around in the early 90’s. Let’s just say I would have been un-friended a lot!
My kids are 25, 22 and 18 and when I was busy raising them, we really didn’t have to struggle with digital safety in the way parents do today. I recall a big brouhaha on the soccer field when we discovered a dad was posting pictures of our kids playing soccer on his blog. Was he identifying our children by name? Did he say when or where the games would be held? The soccer league held a special meeting to review what could and could not be shared by parents. That was about the extent of it, until a few years later, when MySpace was all the rage and my pre-teen daughters were all over it. After one sleepover, one of her friends left her MySpace page open on my desktop. I was horrified to see that she was sharing pictures of scantily clad girls in her bedroom with no privacy controls. I tried telling the child’s mother who looked at me like I was a pervert. She clearly had no clue what MySpace even was or how to access it.
When my family became Facebook obsessed, we began to have conversations with our kids about their digital legacy. It was always their legacy to form though, not mine. My grown children chastise me for sharing photos of them without permission. I overshare, they complain, and I retract for a while. Would I have been slaphappy when they were toddlers, sharing pictures of them sitting on the potty for everyone to see for digital eternity? What you choose to share and not share about your children really is a matter of personal preference.
Safety aside, the question becomes what will you children think of the digital history you are weaving of their life? When they are grown, will they look back and say, “Thanks, Mom, for using my awkward phase as your Facebook fodder”? Or will they love having a testament to their childhood available to access at the swipe of a finger? Only time will tell!
This article is part of our series on Generation Alpha
We seek to provide answers to your most pressing questions about keeping your kids safe online, introducing them to the digital world, and helping them be their authentic selves online.
Change is the only constant. This might be one of the most accurate descriptions of technology development in the past 20 years. True enough, we swapped our pagers for smartphones phones and introduced tablets and smart gadgets in our lives. By our example, our kids learn that in order to keep up with the changes,stuff
iPads are all the rage these days, being handed in schools, loaded with apps for learning and honing different skills, and they are even used to help autistic children communicate. On the other hand, you cannot avoid all the reports on toddlers becoming addicted to tablets and games lowering their attention span. In truth, an iPad or any other tablet can be a great resource for kids. There are various apps that can help your children learn to read, write, or do math in a fun interactive way. However, there are several mistakes people make when they let their children discover the wonders of touch screen.stuff
Do you remember the first time that you left your kid home alone? Let me guess, it was so stressful that you still feel a lump in the throat just by remembering it. I’m also convinced that you weighed all pros and cons of this big step in your child’s development. Probably postponed it severalstuff
I still remember my 8th birthday and the special present I’ve got from my grandfather. My first computer. It was Commodore 64. And while I have little interest in learning Basic, I would spend an indefinite number of hours playing Impossible Mission with those special joysticks. But my parents thought that playing video games isstuff
As I am writing this, it is Monday, six o’clock sharp, and I am sitting on the edge of a bathtub, my feet firmly planted on the tiled floor. My two kids are still asleep in the room next to me, and I relish in the few minutes I have to myself before the daystuff
With the outbreak of Covid-19 coronavirus, adults across the world are trying to find ways to utilize the time spent at home in the most productive ways. However, children might experience this impromptu staycation differently. So, how to motivate your kids to learn, and simulate the normal environment? We’ve got the answers! Introduce Online Learningstuff
Here are two things you need to know about me: I have been an educator for almost 17 years. I am a parent of two kids, both of whom belong to Gen Alpha. As an educator, I was a witness of how the introduction of smartphones and wireless internet can be an unpleasant enemy instuff
For children nowadays, staying “connected” to their friends has never been easier with the internet and smart technology. Our kids are in touch with their peers 24/7 and technology allows them to share ideas, photos, stories, videos. But the threats of cyberworld demands the need for guidance, guidelines, and social responsibility. On the other side,stuff
Have you ever wondered what are the benefits or pitfalls of letting tech babysit our kids? Here’s how I, as a mother of two kids, went on a quest to find how technology’s role as a nanny is influencing the social, emotional and academic development of my children. Let me tell you a story (onstuff
