"The Internet: Our Uninvited Parenting Partner" – Maybe it’s time to take a stand?
In a world where screens dominate our children's lives, parents find themselves caught in a relentless tug-of-war between safety and social acceptance.
As we strive to protect our kids from the dangers lurking online, we must confront an unsettling reality: are we truly equipped to navigate this digital landscape, or have we become unwitting gatekeepers in a system designed to overwhelm us?
Maybe I’m just on a different wavelength, but everywhere I turn, it seems like the big conversation is about controlling our kids’ device use. We’re all worried about the negative effects of online content, and there’s a strong push to reduce both usage and access. I’m totally on board with this movement, but I can’t help but feel it misses a crucial point.
These days, people are starting to talk about how “extreme parenting” has become. Parents are trying to optimise every area of their children’s lives, which is a far cry from what previous generations experienced. This new approach puts immense pressure on already stressed parents and can leave kids at a disadvantage when they’re unable to do things for themselves. While I agree with these concerns, I don’t see many parents getting riled up about the added demands that the digital world places on us. Why aren’t we making more noise about it? Yes, we’re responsible for our children’s upbringing, but we didn’t sign up to be their internet police!
Honestly, it feels like an injustice has been done to our generation. We’ve been left to filter online content for our kids with little instruction or support. We grew up as the internet was becoming a part of everyday life, so we didn’t have to think about the risks the same way. Now, we’re juggling our children’s online experiences with enough challenges in the real world—where at least we have social standards and a police force to keep things in check. The online world is a different story, lacking a safety net for our kids. We’re constantly bombarded with mixed messages about how to handle their online activity. If we don’t give our kids enough screen time, they might feel out of the loop and face teasing. But if we allow too much access, we risk exposing them to harmful content and disrupting their development. It feels like we can’t win: we’re either overprotective or labeled lazy for not monitoring them closely enough. And ultimately we end up being the bad guys in the eyes of our children for interfering in their fun.
Managing screen time adds another layer of complexity to our already busy lives. Setting limits on devices is time-consuming and can be incredibly frustrating. I often find myself struggling with Apple’s screen time settings. There are so many options—downtime, app limits, communication restrictions, content & privacy restrictions, website data etc.—that it’s easy to overlook something important. And if I ever have to turn it off, starting over is a nightmare!
Then there’s the issue of age ratings on apps such as some of those rated 12+ on the App Store—like Netflix and Audible—that we might actually want our kids to have. The catch? To enable those downloads, we end up exposing them to ads that aren’t appropriate for their age and possibly other questionable content. It feels like a lose-lose situation! Even with the best settings, my 5-year-old still ends up seeing ads for shooting games when he plays certain apps. And finding good, age-appropriate content on the App Store? It’s like searching for a needle in a haystack! When my child signs up for a new website or app, I often find myself needing to create yet another account, which is just one more thing on my to-do list and don”t get me started on the passwords!! And then you might also have the problem of inconsistencies between operating systems if you have devices of different brands in your household.
Choosing a safeguarding app for our kids is another headache. How do we know which one is best? Most parents don’t have the time to sift through all the online reviews to find the right solution. It feels like the tech giants have made it as complicated as possible to keep our children safe, as if they want us to give up! Of course they want as much data from us as possible and the fewer the restrictions the more valuable we are as users. The easiest option is often to just let our kids have their devices without any content control or screen time limits. But deep down, we know that’s not what’s best for them.
In the end, our children deserve to explore the online world safely, and we deserve support in navigating these challenges.
Let’s advocate for increased transparency in regulations from tech companies and governments, along with enhanced resources that simplify safeguarding in today’s digital landscape. Our shared vision is that of a safer online environment for our children which is more tightly regulated, so that parents do not have to struggle with this chore.
Balance your screens!
#balanceyourscreens, #parenting, #screentime
Image by Freepix.
