In February, I shared our school's experiences during 'Disconnect to Connect Day' as a reminder that getting away from technology can allow for increased interactions that build social skills, relationships, and ultimately, connectedness. That said, the reality is that our children and we as adults regularly access the digital world for all sorts of reasons from learning to entertainment. With all of this access, we need to be sure we're teaching our children how to navigate this aspect of their lives and to stay connected to what they are doing in the digital world.
When kids learn to ride a bike, they often begin with training wheels to help get started. They may have someone to guide them and figure out how riding a bike works. As they encounter difficulty, they receive feedback and guidance from this person to help them overcome obstacles they face along the way. Should they fall, this person picks them back off and sets things right so that they can keep learning until, eventually, they are ready to go it alone.
Unlike biking, kids can often access the technology far sooner than they realize the ramifications of choices they make on a day to day basis. As adults, it's up to us to provide some 'digital training wheels' as children develop their skills as digital citizens. While they usually figure out new technologies far faster than we can as adults, they need guidance to make thoughtful and responsible decisions. It's not easy, but we need to understand what they are doing with these technologies in order to provide meaningful guidance. Have you ever asked your child about the video games that they like to play, websites they enjoy, or apps they use?
Kids can go on and on about these things. The question is, are we listening? The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children has a wide range of resources focusing on internet safety and digital citizenship available on their NetSmartz website. They suggest that families ask their children what kinds of websites or games they like. Check out these websites or games with your child - where it makes sense, try it out with your child. This can provide for quality time together while giving you a window into how the game or website works. You can also use this time to ask your child how they handle situations where they might see something online that they don't want to see and whether they interact with other people through these games. Doing so will allow for conversations about how to act responsibly and safely in these digital settings.
Kids can go on and on about these things. The question is, are we listening? The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children has a wide range of resources focusing on internet safety and digital citizenship available on their NetSmartz website. They suggest that families ask their children what kinds of websites or games they like. Check out these websites or games with your child - where it makes sense, try it out with your child. This can provide for quality time together while giving you a window into how the game or website works. You can also use this time to ask your child how they handle situations where they might see something online that they don't want to see and whether they interact with other people through these games. Doing so will allow for conversations about how to act responsibly and safely in these digital settings.
As the world of technology evolves, we must do our best as adults to continue to educate ourselves to support the children in our lives. In addition to the NetSmartz website I mentioned, Common Sense Media offers a number of resources for parents. If you have a resource or strategy related to technology and children, please don't hesitate to pass it along. Thank you for all that you do to work as partners in the success of all aspects of our students.
