In today’s world, technology plays an increasingly synergized and important role in our daily lives, but yet too many adults still see a distinction between the online world and the offline world. Teens do not see or live this differentiation, to them it’s just one world, or what is sometimes known in academia as the “onlife world” (1).
Technology and the internet are ubiquitous – from computers to smartphones to social media, technology has changed the way we live, work, play, and interact with one another in today’s onlife world. However, some in the field of digital literacy and internet safety sometimes incorrectly attribute all the negative emotional, psychological, physical, and social challenges that young people face today solely to technology, despite the fact that the negative attention given to technology may not always be warranted (2).
We do believe that social media and technology can play both a positive and negative role in a youth’s mental wellness when it comes to their onlife world (we would argue that there are more positives than negatives). However, youth mental health is more nuanced and multifactorial than just pointing to social media and technology as the primary culprit. Experts in the mental health field have identified various other challenges that can frequently, and more likely contribute to anxiety and depression among youth. Some of these challenges often include:
- Instability at school
- Academic pressure
- Increase in school shootings and mass violence since 2007
- Increased family conflict, family separation, and divorce rates
- Parent/caregiver Job Loss
- Increases in parental distress
- Sexualized violence
- increased rates of racism, xenophobia, homophobia, and misogyny
- Increased rates of child abuse
- Housing crisis
- Food insecurity for lower-income families
- Concerns about climate change
- The current climate of political polarization
- Increased levels of child poverty in North America
- Lack of prevention and early intervention treatment and counseling for youth mental health
- Inflation and the cost of living in the home
- The increased pace of change given the global economy
- Student debt
- Substance abuse
- Physical health problems/disabilities
- Teens who have lost one or more caregivers, close family members, and close friends during COVID
Given that every child and family is different, there is no “magical” age when it comes to the use of technology. It’s not about “NO” technology when it comes to our youth, rather it’s all about “KNOW” technology. It’s about allowing youth reasonable tech agency that helps to create resiliency surrounding the use of technology, both inside or outside the home, specific to their digital literacy development in today’s onlife world. However, the use of technology should be age appropriate and scaffolded via parental modeling of technology, parental communication in their child’s use of technology, parental participation in their child’s use of technology, and parental overwatch of their child’s use of technology (3). The use of technology needs to be a collaborative journey that parents and youth take together!
Adopting a “KNOW” technology strategy encompasses more than just comprehending the workings of technology. It involves recognizing and reducing the harmful issues that can sometimes arise from its use. This strategy involves using evidence-based research as a guide when it comes to interacting with technology in a reasonable and appropriate way. It is not simply about owning the most up-to-date gadgets or mastering every app on your phone. Instead, it is about utilizing technology in a well-balanced manner that enriches your life and aids in achieving your goals and objectives. These are all qualities that parents and caregivers must instill in their children when it comes to their child’s use of technology and their digital literacy.
It’s important to remember that if a parent or caregiver is providing their child with technology, it becomes the responsibility of the parent and caregiver to ensure that the technology is age and maturity appropriate. Sometimes, parents do need to say no to technology that is just not appropriate for a child’s age or development. Are kids going to like this – probably not, oh well that’s what makes us parents and sometimes we parents need to say and do things that our kids aren’t going to like. Remember, we need to become our child’s best parent and not their best friend when it comes to the use of technology. Regrettably, some parents utilize technology as a digital pacifier and fail to recognize that it can be a potent digital tool that can open up unfiltered access to everything on the internet – both the positive and the negative.
Another important aspect of the “KNOW” technology strategy – being able to adapt to new technologies as they emerge. Technology is constantly evolving, and what is cutting-edge or popular today with youth may be outdated tomorrow. This means that parents and caregivers need to be able to adjust, learn quickly, and keep up with new tech developments in order to stay current specific to their child’s onlife world. Sometimes this can be seen to be a daunting task for parents, thus why it is easier for some to say “no” to technology than it is to say “yes”. This is why we do what we do here at the White Hatter – helping parents and caregivers in staying informed about today’s onlife world, enabling and empowering them to engage in the essential and necessary tech and social media discussions that need to take place with their children from an informed perspective (4)(5).
However, it’s not just about youth, parents, and caregivers keeping up with technology for its own sake. We all need to have a purpose for using technology in the first place. This means identifying our goals and using technology to help us achieve them where appropriate and reasonable to do so. Rather than just using technology for the purpose of consumption, it should be used for the purpose of becoming producers, forming positive connections, and leveraging future opportunities when it comes to the use of technology. We have met so many teens who, because of their positive use of technology, have created educational and job opportunities that would not have been made available if it not for their use of technology.
Ultimately, the “KNOW” technology strategy is about using tech in a reasonable and balanced way that adds value to our lives. This means being intentional about how we use technology and avoiding hours of mindless consumption. Don’t get us wrong, sometimes mindless consumption of technology can be a good stress break for both youth and adults, but this should be the exception rather than the norm. It means understanding both the positive and negative impacts that technology can sometimes have on our well-being, our relationships, and our society as a whole. It means being open to new technologies that are age-appropriate and being willing to learn and adapt to the use of technology as a parent or caregiver.
Technology is not inherently good or bad, it’s all about how we use it, and how we can mentor our children on the balanced and age-appropriate use of technology. Emphasizing the importance of knowing how to use technology, rather than simply restricting its use, can help parents and caregivers integrate it into our child’s lives in a way that enriches and supports them in reaching their goals when it comes to the use of technology. Hence, it’s not about rejecting technology altogether, but rather about being knowledgeable and mindful about how we use it – it’s about “KNOW” technology, rather than “NO” technology.
One of our White Hatter digital mantras that we share with parents and caregivers,
“When we share our concerns with our kids about their onlife world, we should do so in a way that ties into where they are today, is relevant to their life, and appeals to their intelligence and experience. This will help them make good onlife decisions”
The “KNOW” technology strategy will help parents and caregivers to fulfill this mantra!
Digital Food For Thought
The White Hatter
- https://www.researchgate.net/publication/285603019_The_Onlife_Manifesto_Being_Human_in_a_Hyperconnected_Era
- https://thewhitehatter.ca/blog/some-are-misrepresenting-cdc-report-findings-specific-to-the-use-of-social-media-technology-by-youth/
- https://thewhitehatter.ca/blog/parents-and-caregivers-how-to-help-mediate-youth-technology-social-media-dilemmas/
- https://thewhitehatter.ca/online-parenting-book/
- https://open.spotify.com/show/1YIk47DMbHH2BF0xScdBc8
