How To Be A Digital Parent

With the advent of the digital age, it's important to parent your child in the digital sphere for their overall development. A huge part of their lives will be spent using technology in one form or another. This idea has given rise to the "Digital Parent" - one who trains their child to be prepared for life in the fast-growing technological sphere. It ensures that children are both comfortable and adept at using technology in their everyday lives.

Now that you know who a Digital Parent is, here's how you can be one.

1. Learn about the Digital Sphere

The first step to being a digital parent is to educate yourself and stay abreast of the latest technological developments so that you can teach your children how to navigate the digital space. An article in The Hindu on digital parenting, reports that a fair number of parents find it challenging to monitor their children online or on the computer since they have a limited understanding of the functionalities themselves.^[1] In this situation, educating yourself to get ahead of the technological curve becomes that much more important.

2. Inculcate values in your child that apply offline as well as online

The internet creates a whole new playground for children to reiterate learned behaviour. Of these, the one that is the most dangerous is cyberbullying. According to the Media Literacy Council of Singapore, it is important for a parent to assume the role of "Values Coach", to ensure that your child does not take part in cyberbullying or any other vicious online behaviour.^[2]

3. Supervise computer access at all times without infringing on their privacy

All access must be supervised or monitored in a way that you deem fit. There is a plethora of software that allows you to set parental access controls on your devices, which means you know exactly when and how they use them. Don't forget to password protect your Wi-Fi and computer, this will help you regulate their access. Keep the PC in a common area of the home so that your child cannot access the device without your knowledge. 

The digital space provides parents with a great opportunity to learn, play and bond with children. It is time you embraced the computer as a tool that can be extremely beneficial for your children. Digital parenting is at its heart a parenting system that ensures your child grows up into a responsible adult both online and offline.

So, are you a digital parent? Tweet using #DellAarambh^[3] and tell us your experience!