How to Become a Digital Savvy Parent

Scott Reddler sent me this infographic on being a digitally savvy parent and I loved it! This is not only practical but well thought out. Glad I can pass it along to you.

How to Become a Digital Savvy Parent

As technology continues to change at a breakneck pace, parents must learn how to adapt to the realities of this digital era if they want to succeed in raising responsible digital citizens. What follows, therefore, is a look at how adults can become digital savvy parents.

Follow the Experts

It’s been said that information is power, and this is mostly true. What this means is that parents need to connect with reliable information sources. Family Online Safety Institute, which seeks to make the online world safer for kids and their families through enlightened public policy, industry best practice and good digital parenting, is a great place to start. Another great resource is Common Sense Media, which seeks to improve the lives of kids and families by providing independent reviews, age ratings, and other information about all types of media.

Safeguard Children’s Confidential Information 

One study finds that 72% of parents are worried about their children interacting with strangers on the Internet. And 59% of parents of teenagers who use social networking websites have talked to their children about something the children posted on their social networking accounts.

There are proactive measures parents can take to help their children. For instance, they should check their kids’ social media privacy settings to ensure that the following data is kept private:

• Name
• Address
• Age
• Phone Number
• Daily Schedule
• Planned
• Holidays
• Photos

Set Parental Controls and Digital Rules

While there’s a whole lot of good on the World Wide Web, there are also things that are inappropriate for children, which is why parents need to use technology to control what their children can and cannot access. For instance they should set parental controls for the following:

• Content children can search for
• Times they can use their device
• Games they can play
• In-app buys

Install Monitoring Software

Pew Research Center says that 61% of parents check which websites their children go to, and 60% of parents go over their children’s social media accounts. It has also been shown that parents can bolster their children’s digital behavior if they inform their kids that they are being monitored.

Talk to Children

Keeping an open line of communication is critical for parents if they want to understand their children’s online behaviors. This means finding out what apps and instant messengers they use, what their social media sites of choice are, and whether or not they have engaged with strangers in games or in apps.

By keeping in mind the aforementioned recommendations, parents can definitely become digitally savvy — and this is critical if they want to keep their kids safe online. The digital era is one of rapid technological change, so it’s never been more critical for parents to get informed and involved.