What is digital parenting

Digital parenting is a new aspect of parenting that focuses on the digital upbringing of children. Its need has emerged due to the high exposure of children to digital media and the Internet. It involves nurturing the kids to develop healthy habits around technology and the Internet, which is a challenging task. The biggest responsibility of a digital parent is to make their child Internet mature. It includes guiding the kids to capitalize on online opportunities, protecting them from online dangers and threats, and making them responsible digital citizens.

As with children, parents too are exposed to digital media, that’s why they understand how vulnerable the children can be on the Internet. A parent always keeps worrying about what kind of content their child must be watching on the Internet. While using social media, there is a risk of children talking to strangers who can be predators.

Online Threats and Dangers

There are online threats of cyberbullying, stalking, grooming, identity theft and more. Longer screen time can cause many physical problems with children. All these recurring thoughts keep making the parent anxious and stressed.

Home makers or working from home parents can keep an eye on the digital activity of their child up to an extent. They can check in between and keep a track on them. What about office going parents?  Since they spend a good chunk of time away from their children this anxiety gets heightened. They always feel stressed in the anticipation of what their children might be doing in the digital world.

Role of Parental Control Tools

Some parents may exercise some control on their kid’s online activity through parental control software or apps. However it can only curb the child’s access through a particular device.  But there can be multiple devices available to them, such as their friends’ or grandparents’. Parental control will restrict few pornographic, violent, or gambling websites. However it is just a small part of a whole ocean of age inappropriate content.

Solution

In order to put all of these worries to rest, every parent must strive to become a digital leader in addition to being a digital parent. Only then they will be able to fulfill their digital parenting responsibility of making their child Internet mature. It is the need of the hour and an urgent demand of the 21st century.

To know how a digital parent can become a digital leader, read this blog article. To learn more about what is internet maturity explore iMature.in

If you are an office going parent then you’re welcome to share your digital parenting experiences in the comment section.