Even if your kids are older and have been immersed into screens, virtual worlds and all that technology has to offer for years, it’s not too late to have the “tech talk.”

“Sexting has been found among children as young as 9 and 10 years old.”

—Parents’ New Fear: Cyber-bullying, Sexting | Government | capemaycountyherald.com

Your children are entering adulthood in a world defined by technology. As a parent, it’s imperative that you provide your children with the tools to be cyber aware. Kids also need you to help them build an arsenal of techniques to self-soothe. They need to be able to develop and sustain friendships and social interactions without the use of technology.

Realistically, there are positives and negatives to everything associated with technology. So as a parent, what does it mean to empower your preteen or teenager with technology?

  • Have your kids understand the ways to use technology for good and understand how to avoid getting into trouble with poor decisions.
  • Have your children understand what respect for themselves means and how to apply that to respect for others.
  • Help your children understand the concept of empathy for others.
  • Help your child find a balance between their online world and their offline world.
  • Talk to your kids about what home technology rules make sense for how you want to raise your child in a world filled with technology.

Complete the Savvy Cyber Kids Technology Pledge, a set of suggested rules for technology that will get your family thinking about cyber ethics and privacy as your children explore new technologies, create new accounts and begin a lifetime of maturation while using technology and social media.

Savvy Cyber Kids Technology Pledge: https://savvycyberkids.org/resources/technology-pledge/

Savvy Cyber Kids educates and empowers digital citizens, from parents and grandparents, to teachers and students. Sign up for our free resources to help you navigate today’s digital world with cyber ethics. See more cyber safety and cyber ethics blogs produced exclusively for EarthLink. Looking for a social media parental control? Try a 30-day free trial of Bark. If you sign up after your trial, Bark donates 25% of your monthly fee to Savvy Cyber Kids.

Thank you to the Savvy Cyber Kid’s sponsors!

Interested in becoming a Savvy Cyber Kids sponsor? Email Ben Halpert.