Children today are growing up in a world where they regularly have access to cell phones, tablets, and the internet, as do their parents and caregivers.
While technology can provide many advantages, there are also new challenges that parents must face when raising their family, including teaching children the correct way to use technology and understanding how to safely and responsibly interact with it.
Understanding Digital Literacy
Digital literacy means that a person knows not only how to use an application or device, but also understands how the virtual world operates and how to make appropriate choices while interacting within it.
While surfing the internet can be a fun and wonderful experience for your kids, it can also prove to be a very confusing space. They might not always know what’s real and what’s a scam on their social media feed.
With the help of their parents, kids can learn the necessary skills that will allow them to interact and access the virtual world with confidence.
Be an Example at Home
One of the best ways that you, as a parent, can teach your child how to become digitally literate is to model good habits for them. Kids watch carefully how adults use technology. When a parent takes the time to verify information before sharing it online, they help their child understand the importance of developing those habits as they grow as digital citizens.
Small, everyday choices can lead to positive changes:
- Teaching them how to create strong passwords for their accounts and devices.
- Talking about being careful when sharing information on social media.
- Educating them on the difference between safe and unsafe websites.
Establishing these habits over time helps children develop safer and more responsible online behaviors.
Building Open Communication
Having conversations with your children about technology will have a more significant influence than only putting rules in place. You may ask them about the applications they have on their phones and tablets, the games they play, and the videos they watch on YouTube.
They may feel comfortable opening up to you if they realize you have a genuine interest in the things they do online. If your children feel comfortable opening up to you, they may turn to you for advice if they receive a strange message.
Cultivating Healthy Technology Habits
Even though technology is a vital part of everyone’s life, imposing limits on the amount of time kids spend using devices would allow them to have enough time to complete their homework, assist with the housework, and get enough sleep.
Additionally, parents should discuss basic online hygiene and safety tools with their children:
- Using the best VPN for iPhone or Android, based on the type of device they use, to help protect personal information while browsing the internet.
- Communicating through secure channels and the importance of authenticating online identities and news.
- Controlling social media privacy settings.
In this way, parents can encourage healthy habits that last over time and help keep children safe as they grow.
Teaching Children to Analyze the Accuracy of a Website
Not everything published online is accurate. Some websites are professionally done, but their contents can still be misleading. Because of this, it’s essential to build children’s analytical skills in what they see so they’ll have a better understanding of how to make the right choices before believing something they find on the internet.
You can provide your child with some examples of famous online scams, misleading ads, or fake news to give them an idea of how to protect themselves while using the internet.
Growing Together in a Digital World
Technology is constantly changing and evolving. Parents won’t have every answer, but being connected with children as they develop will also help strengthen the digital consciousness of both parent and child. Digital literacy is mostly developed within the context of shared daily experiences between adults and children in their own homes.