PARENTING TEENS IN TODAY'S TECH-FILLED LIFESTYLE

Guest Blogger: Angela Linders

Parenting may be a practice that is older than humanity itself, but it’s something that every mother or father is still trying to master.  Each generation comes with a new set of knowledge, ground rules, cultural changes and lifestyles that require what the previous generation new to evolve and the right parenting habits be altered.  Today’s kids are being raised in a completely different set of circumstances from their parents and those adults didn’t have the same upbringing as the grandparents of their children.  

Many of the basics may be the same, but the details in parenting teens nowadays, couldn’t be more different than they used to be.  Never before has a society been more dependent on technology.  The concept of social media and teens alone can be rather overwhelming.  Today, the average tech teen needs a smartphone and to purchase a power bank and external battery charger case just to make sure they can get through an average day. 

Gone are the days of massive desktops that required us to stay tethered to the wall while we prayed that the power wouldn’t fail.  Now, a power bank and good quality external battery charger case will keep a smartphone running and safe regardless of where they are and what they’re doing.  This makes the experience for today’s teens far different from those of generations before.  So, what are the right parenting habits for this generation? Do we really know what we’re doing?

Studies have shown that parents with kids younger than 8 years old will play or watch content before their kids are allowed to see it (57 percent.)  Many parents (34 percent) will listen to recommendations provided by friends and family before showing content to their child.  Another 31 percent will trust a company’s reputation when deciding whether its content is acceptable for their kids.  Surprisingly, 1 in 4 parents simply let their young children find their own content for viewing, while 13 percent will look at the website’s reviews first and 5 percent will look at magazine or newspaper reviews for a site.

In the case of teens, the relationship shifts a little bit. Where it’s easier for us to see things in black and white for younger kids, teens are older and have greater independence and freedom.  Most teens – 90 percent, in fact – feel that their parents trust their ability to be responsible with their online activities.  That said, 45 percent said that if their parents were watching, they would alter something about the way they behaved online.  Even among pre-teens, nearly 70 percent have admitted to hiding some of their online activities.   

With that in mind, it may be worth a second look at what is hidden inside a teen son or daughter’s external battery charger case.