Our kids are digital natives. We know that. We have to make adjustments as parents and educators. What are the opportunities? What are the challenges? If we don’t embrace, learn, lead, teach, manage, and understand then we are in danger of committing malpractice as parents and educators.
Fundamentally, though, it’s not parenting styles or intuition that is changing. It is the playing field. The playing field is a globally connected, anytime/anywhere accessible world, immersed in digital devices that overload us with information, interactions, decisions, and an ever expanding horizon. Ethical, responsible, and thoughtful decision making and inquiry are needed for people to navigate and harness their connectivity. But ethical, responsible, and thoughtful decision making has always been the goal! Helping kids make good decisions and mentoring kids towards becoming responsible beings is what parenting is all about. The landscape in the 21st century has changed!
There are many resources for parents. A quick search of resources in google and youtube for parent resources leads you to many links. There is good information available to help guide parent decision making and parent/child discussions about online ethics. Parents must stay informed, accept the realities of our digital world, and reflect upon the impact it has on our parenting decisions. Conversations, structures, and rules for our kids all need to be considered. Our actions as adults matter as we help shape and guide our kids forward.
Below are some links for parents that can produce some interesting dialogue. The youtube videos are relatively short but provide some fundamental thinking and ideas.
Digital Generation Parents Share Their Wisdom
Cyberbullying Solutions for Parents
FB, YouTube, Texting – Rules of the Road for Kids
Tips for Digital Generation Parenting
Sexting and kids – what parents need to know
Slideshare for parents – a resource from David Truss
Disconnect to Connect
Raising Digital Kids, Engaging Your Kids – a resource from David Truss. This is a nice summary of some things to think about as you are discussing limits and engaging in dialogue with your son/daughter.
Here is an interesting article from the Washington. For parents who are thinking hard and long about steps to take with their kids, this is a good article to provide some support. Mom’s Code of Conduct for her son