When I think of parenting in this digital era I cannot help but to remind myself how kids and teens have the advantage over their parents when comes to digital dextery and knowledge, that helps them to get away with anything they are doing on the internet within their parents even knowing what is going on.
It is something I have noticed with my own parents as well, they have had smartphones for a while and they still do manage all the functionalities at the one hundred percent. On the other hand, we have teens today who are capable of hidding applications, using torrents links, basic coding, and even carry out transctions using third party applications. It could be perfectly possible to have teens gambling their money away and their parents never realizing about it.
Though, fortunately, as this generation of teens start to grow up and become parents themselves, they will be better at parenting, because they would already know the same tricks they used in the past.
These youngsters are indeed tech ninjas. They rule Fortnite lobbies and can break Wi-Fi. That does not mean, however, they have the wisdom to deal with the real-world consequences from their activities. Do they understand the crushing weight of debt or the slippery slope of internet gambling? No, hell no. We cannot expect they will solve it by the time their mortgages are due. That's bullshit! It is on us to teach our children and have those awkward talks with them. We have to establish limits, educate them about financial accountability, and equip them to make wise decisions
This is not about being the "cool parent" able to floss with perfection. It's about serving as a mentor, a guide, a wise leader. It's about arming them with the tools to not only survive but flourish in this digital age