How To Manage Tech at Home Without Being a Computer Scientist

The alarm bells have sounded about the risks of digital technology and social media to kids. It’s now well-known that unrestricted access to devices and the internet makes young people vulnerable to all sorts of dangers. Some policymakers have even responded by making changes to legislation designed to enhance protection against these potential harms. Many parents therefore feel increased responsibility to make informed decisions at home about device use.

In an effort to protect their kids from these risks, many parents become armchair tech experts so they can oversee their kids’ engagement with digital technology. Managing devices at home often involves restrictions, monitoring software, and using screen time as a reward or consequence. These parents are often understandably exhausted as they try to keep up with the constant evolution and expansion of technology. But the rapid pace of change makes it impossible to fully weigh the risks, so parents feel unable to make truly informed decisions about device use at home. To them, protecting their kids requires them to be as updated as possible so they know what to do before the update arrives in their home.

The only certainty for parents seems to be that the world of the future will likely be more digital, and therefore riskier. Kids will become adults who need to be responsible and competent navigators of the virtual world. Right now, the primary burden of developing this responsibility falls on parents, which causes a dilemma when they cannot make fully informed decisions due to the pace of technological change. A change in focus is necessary.

While the technological landscape constantly changes, the requirements for kids to thrive have remained the same. Rather than concentrate on the development of the digital world, I suggest there are three long-term life skills parents should prioritize to guide their decisions related to digital devices and social media. When kids are proficient in risk assessment, decision-making, and impulse control, they are prepared for any of the challenges that lie ahead- digital or not. As kids demonstrate greater competence in these areas, they prove they can be trusted with more freedom and responsibility related to their devices. The focus shifts to preparing them for the future, and is actually the best way to protect them.

Prioritizing these life skills frees parents from the expectation to be an expert in a world that constantly changes, and prepares kids for any type of future. So look above and beyond the current alarm, and concentrate on the kinds of people your kids will become, and you will parent with more confidence and less reaction.