Tracking your kids online?

19 May

Parental Control Tracking - Building Trust and Encouraging Free Play

In this week's "Digital Families" Podcast, I speak with Sonia Livingstone, a London School of Economics and Political Science professor. Sonia is also the co-author with Alicia Blum-Ross of the recently released book based on her research "Parenting for a Digital Future: How Hopes and Fears About Technology Shape Children's Lives". About parental controls, screen time vs free play and tracking.

Recently, there has been a bit of discussion about parental controls and apps that can track children. Many parents use available technology like "Life 36" and trackers to check up on and surveil their kids' online and offline behaviour.

But when do parental controls and tracking become overbearing or an invasion of privacy? When should parents start to give the child more space and trust?

Screentime vs Free Play

Many clients are working with me on rewinding screen time and developing better habits around online devices. Some parents report that their children seem to have lost the ability to entertain themselves off screens after so much screen time during Covid19 lockdowns.

Sonia Livingstone and I discuss the importance of children having "Free Play" on and off screens. How can we transition children from screens to healthy play that is so important for their development?

Sonia's Book "Parenting For A Digital Future" Is Available Here: www.sonialivingstone.net