Open dialogues help kids learn digital know-how

Some schools may be monitoring what their students’ online activities are, but there is only little they can do once a pupil leaves school grounds. Teens may still have a lot of online freedom outside the classroom.

Teens are online at home, malls, parks — they are 24/7 digitally connected. This begs the question of how parents can play a role in protecting their children from dangerous social media challenges.

April McCabe, an American mother of three teenage children in Dubai, for example, does not allow her children to have a mobile phone. Her kids are allowed to use the computer that is placed in the family room and they all share the iCloud.

“My kids are not allowed mobile phones even though they are 11 and 13-years-old. Everywhere they go they are with an adult, so they do not need a mobile phone. I talk to my kids about being safe on the internet and tell them you never know for sure who is on the other end or who is watching what you are doing,” she said.

Indian mum of two children, Archana Desai, said she would rather be a friend than a parent to her teenage children, so they can better understand the consequences that are created by these kinds of challenges. “First and foremost, as a parent, I don’t allow kids to participate in any challenges. As we can’t monitor each and every activity they do online, we always have one-to-one discussions about cyber activities benefits and vice versa,” she said.

“This type of teenage activities may psychologically be harmful to innocent minds. As a parent, it’s our moral responsibility to have open conversations in day-to-day life to know their behaviour and activities. As a parent, I would like to be a friend of a teenage friend than a parent.”

sarwat@khaleejtimes.com

My kids are not allowed mobile phones even though they are 11 and 13-years-old. Everywhere they go they are with an adult, so they do not need a mobile phone. April McCabe, mother of three kids

As a parent, it’s our moral responsibility to have open conversations in day-to-day life to know their behaviour and activities.” Archana Desai, mother of two children