Eight-year old Eva is a whiz with her tech tools. She has started 3 blogs, enjoys texting and Facetime with her cousin on the East Coast, and Skypes with her grandmother who lives in New York. Her mother gave her a castoff cellphone that still had wireless service and Eva used apps to make calls with it (with Mom nearby). She likes to send texts and funny pictures of herself to her mom.
Eva's mom, a friend of mine, has so far refused Instagram or Snapchat for her precocious daughter, but expects that Eva will want to join before she is 13. Like many parents, she is concerned about online safety and privacy for her daughter.
While Eva’s mom is thinking ahead to peer interactions on social media, she might not realize the value her daughter is reaping from interactions with her immediate family network right now. The sharing, collaborating, playing and communicating Eva is doing with family members allow her to experiment with aspects of social networking in a safe, forgiving environment. In a sense, these beginning interactions are Eva’s first foray into social networking.
We’re still learning about the role social media play in the lives of our kids. A report issued by the American Academy of Pediatrics in 2011 highlighted several benefits, including allowing kids from diverse backgrounds to forge connections over shared interests; acting as a tool for kids to engage in political action or community involvement; facilitating homework collaboration; and helping in the development of individual identity and personal expression.
Those of us whose kids are not yet ready to enjoy the benefits or understand the risks of grown-up social networking can help our kids strengthen their family networks and sharpen their social media skills right now. Here are some ideas:
1. Practice communication through texting and e-mail
A friend is reassured by her son’s texting because she considers it a form of writing. As her son works to overcome roadblocks with handwriting at school, texting has given him a way to communicate with his family.
2. Facilitate connections with remote relatives
Skype and e-mail are the obvious ways to keep the lines open with distant grandparents or parents away on business trips. Long-distance game play is another. My sister, a busy mom of two-year old twins who lives a few hours away, is engaged in an extended session of Draw Something with my son. Aunt and nephew can complete a round and send along a fresh challenge when he or she has a spare moment.
3. Be an attentive recipient of digital media creations
Your child’s blogs, goofy digital self portraits, and homemade iMovie creations might be hasty and effortless at this stage, but it’s still worth it to take a moment to acknowledge what your child has made and have a conversation about it.
Today you are your kids' primary sounding board. What can they learn from you now that will benefit them when they interact with a broader audience in the future?
Originally appeared in parent blog for Pixy Kids, a start-up social networking space for kids.
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