Tech-savvy parenting for a tech-savvy generation

The experiences that form a teen's life differ from those their parents had when they were young. Imagine the millennials who have grown up in both the technological and non-technological worlds throughout their formative years. They relished the time when technology was merely accessible to a few or as time progressed when access to technology became such an essential component of an individual's existence. Neglecting it conveys the impression of committing a significant degree of sin. But what about their tech-savvy kids?

It is difficult for millennial parents to restrict their kids from integrating with technology. Somewhere down the line, to correspond with the ongoing generation transition, there will inevitably be a turnaround toward an inclination for technology. Even in any social banter, technology plays a vital role in being updated and informed. Tech safety is a matter of grave concern for all millennial parents. As a nation, we have a long history of misusing technology. Sometimes, even the good side is regarded as the wrong side.

Keeping this in mind, here are a few steps that all tech-savvy parents can do before sailing their kids towards the tech-savvy generation.

Discover the most commonly used apps

In the fast-paced world of social media, parents frequently wonder what apps their children love. If a parent can't keep up with their kids' newest app, don't regress. Dig deeper. Check whether your youngster may safely indulge. Know the app's privacy, parental control, and other security settings and leverage them. Ensure your teen doesn't alter your settings. Usually, kids start their digital journey at 13 years. So a little bit of awareness from tech-savvy parents at this tender age can make their kids lead a healthy tech lifestyle. For instance, if your child is an avid TikTok user, then enable the TikTok Family Pairing feature from the app. Family Pairing is a feature that intends to involve parents in the platform to ensure that their children or teens can enjoy and have fun through TikTok safely. With this feature, parents can customize the safety settings and link their TikTok accounts to their teens'. There are various controls in Family Pairing, including Screen Time Management, Restricted Mode, and Discoverability.

Educate about technology

Use a few minutes out of your day to sit down with your kid and talk about what they do and where they spend most of their time online. Take this time to educate your child on the righteous ways to navigate the internet. In addition, you can guide your youngster on how to reap the best of social media sites such as Facebook, TikTok, Snapchat, YouTube, and the likes. For instance, Tiktok launched a #LearnOnTikTok educational campaign in May 2020. Around 800 homes, media outlets, educational organizations, and real-world experts delivered instructional content to TikTok.

Let them play games

One of the most prevalent dilemmas that South Asian parents have is that their children succumb to online games. But in this era, when the idea of esports has turned out to be so highly dominating, parents, whether they are tech-savvy or not, are still a long way off from deciphering why the notion should be accepted by their children. We often speak about bullying, but the pervasive underlying root cause of the social behavior might have various origins. Imagine, that approximately 20 years from now, your child will be participating in banter about a PUBG or Valorant tournament. Your son or daughter will be sitting nearby. Still, throughout the session, they remain completely oblivious of the subject being discussed and consider the whole session, and they remain reticent among the members. At that exact moment, it turned out to be quite humiliating for them, and it also served as a justification, to some part, to bully your youngsters. Furthermore, the members won't endorse your kids to future banter. Every time a get-together is arranged, they will be ridiculed or ignored, or if they meet a member of that circle, they will be recounted for their reclusive conduct or illiteracy. So let them play, but watch them. However, if things go overboard, then restrict screen usage, adopt a routine, impose parental control, and recognize the downsides of this compulsion. But avoid any upbringing strategies that would make a child lag behind the generation.

In the future, the metaverse will be a widespread phenomenon and entertainment platforms like TikTok will lead the way. Understand it, nurture them, and grant them exact knowledge, so that they can explore the array of opportunities on the world wide web.

The writer is an Associate Professor of Psychology in a reputed public university