Raising digital citizens: Parenting in the age of online perils

DIGITAL SPACES ARE DEEPLY INTEGRATED INTO MODERN LIFE, MAKING DIGITAL LITERACY A LONG-TERM APPROACH

- Swati Tiwana

An increasing integration of digital spaces into everyday life has made digital literacy a crucial skill for young learners. Recently, while watching the Netflix series "Adolescence," I was struck by the extent to which digital spaces influence our physical and psychological environments, including our social systems, beliefs, and institutions in ways that often go unnoticed. The series explores the darker side of social media communities and their impact on human psychology. It follows a teenage boy who murders a girl, raising the crucial question: Why did he commit the crime?

Historically, technological advancements have always had a transformative impact on societal structures. Today's digital landscape is no exception. But, it is different in a critical aspect: urgency of equipping young people with the skills necessary to critically engage with online content, safeguard their privacy and cultivate healthy digital habits to transform them from passive consumers into active and informed users.

Numerous real-world cases—some incredibly surreal—highlight how children are often unknowingly pulled into the digital world, exposing them to significant risks. Parents, therefore, must act as the first line of defense. While they can physically control who enters their homes, the reality is that countless strangers are already inside through social media, interacting with their children in ways they may not fully understand.