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The digital child

What’s it like growing up and parenting in a digital world?

There's a lot of fearmongering around children and their interactions with digital technology, but the truth is more nuanced.

The role of digital technology in the lives of children has increased. : Illustration by Michael Joiner, 360info, image via Preply.com Images CC BY 4.0 The role of digital technology in the lives of children has increased. : Illustration by Michael Joiner, 360info, image via Preply.com Images CC BY 4.0

There’s a lot of fearmongering around children and their interactions with digital technology, but the truth is more nuanced.

From politicians calling for social media bans to worries about using your phone around your baby or the amount of time kids spend looking at screens, talking about children and how they interact with digital technology can elicit strong emotions.

At the same time, parents want to make sure that their kids are also equipped to thrive in an increasingly digital world and make the most of what new technologies have to offer.

It can be a confusing space to navigate, particularly as researchers are still figuring out exactly how technology impacts our kids’ lives.

There are a lot of things going on for kids and we face the danger of blaming technology itself rather than more carefully considering what we do and don’t use it for.

But one thing is clear, we can push for all of society to build better digital experiences for children to ensure they can benefit from this digital world, while at the same time having fun and staying safe online.

 

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