Hey there! Let’s talk about the impact of undesirable online behavior on our kids. By understanding and communicating this impact, we can teach them some valuable life lessons for navigating the digital age.
05 Mar 2025
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5 min. read
Let’s face it, there’s a growing gap between parents and kids in today’s digital world. As digital natives, our children are born into a world of constant connectivity, which can make it hard for us, the digital immigrants, to fully grasp their perspective.
However, it’s crucial to bridge this gap and address undesirable online behavior with our kids. By taking the time to understand and communicate the impact of such behavior, we can instill important life lessons for navigating the digital landscape.
What does behaving badly mean online?
Kids can be impulsive, and this is partly due to their developing brains. Researchers suggest that the parts of the brain responsible for controlling behavior are not fully developed in adolescents, leading to more impulsivity and risk-taking.
While some level of risk-taking is necessary for growth, it becomes problematic when it crosses into recklessness. This can endanger their well-being, both mentally and physically, as well as put their online security at risk.
For instance, oversharing personal information, talking to strangers, lying about their age, sexting, cyberbullying, and hacking/scamming others are all forms of undesirable online behavior that can have serious consequences.
What parents can do
As parents, it’s important to set clear ground rules, lead by example with our own digital habits, use parental controls, and have candid conversations with our kids about online safety and respect.
Additionally, we can set up age-appropriate online accounts for our children, enroll them in identity protection services, adjust privacy settings, and provide guidance on using their technical skills for positive purposes.
By keeping the lines of communication open and teaching our kids the difference between good and bad online behavior, we can help shape them into thoughtful, risk-averse, and respectful internet users.
