Cyber smart parenting

Parenting in contemporary times requires a new and different approach.

Unfortunately, many parents have not decided how to adapt their parenting to suit the times.

In 2018, a United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) report revealed that seven out of 10 young people were already using the Internet for learning in Ghana.

Among these, four out of 10 children/adolescents admitted contacting someone on the internet they had never met face to face before and two out of 10 children/adolescents met someone face to face that they first got to know on the internet.

Three in 10 children/adolescents said they had experienced something that bothered or upset them while online.

Further enquiry revealed that only two out of 10 parents or guardians were confident that their children could cope with things that upset them while online. Only three out of 10 (28 per cent) of parents/guardians were confident in offering support to their children to cope with things that upset them online.

Opportunities

In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic presented more children with new opportunities to learn, socialise, innovate and connect to the world. Many more children all over the world have since been heavily exposed to screens and the internet. This demands that every parent whose child owns a gadget and uses the internet remain vigilant.

Leaving children to be by themselves on the internet without supervision or monitoring is as serious as dropping them in the ocean to enjoy the waves, storm and all. This is a matter of concern because many children who have been defiled or initiated into certain undesirable social circles in recent times were contacted by people they met online who groomed them, made them feel liked and then further lured them into all sorts of sexual relationships and other vices.

This storyline has become far too common because the internet has made communication very easy, smooth and fast. As we use the internet, we are exposed to more strangers than we would have ordinarily been before the advent of the internet.

Ignorant

It is sad to note that many parents are ignorant of the extent to which their children are being polluted and harmed by certain influences, cultures, social media groups etc. because they are unable to see notable physical changes in them.

A lot of this harm is being done in their minds and their values. Parents and guardians must, therefore, be involved in their child’s virtual world from the start and also learn how to support their safety.

As always, children and teenagers need to be guided to know what is innocent and what is not. Their judgment of what is safe and what is not safe and how to control themselves in order not to get addicted cannot be trusted or left to chance.

Cyber-smart parenting

Parents do not have to be experts to practice cyber-smart parenting. Knowing where to find things and get help is what is paramount. Fortunately, there are simple cyber smart parenting courses one can attend online and a lot of information to access on the internet.

There is a need to learn how to set parental controls to limit access to adult and other undesired content. There are many videos on ‘YouTube’ that can teach parents how to do this.

There should be rules and limits that suit the child’s age and maturity. Children must have plenty of ‘technology-free’ time where they learn to entertain themselves without technology.

There should be no substitute for active and creative play as this is important for children’s healthy development. A healthy balance of both online and offline activities will help them develop a range of skills and interests.

The writer is a Child Development Expert/Fellow at Zero-to-three
Academy, USA.
E-mail: nanaesi_19@yahoo.co.uk