Practical Tips For Parents

Media balance and well-being

Our advice to you on the topic of Media Balance and Wellbeing’ is to help you find the right way not to expose your children to the dangers of digital technology. This already involves regulated exposure in front of the screens.

Although new technologies are part of our daily lives, including those of children, they have no ability to distinguish between their benefits and harmful effects. This is why it is up to you, as parents, to control the time they spend in front of the screens.

To prevent any addiction, you may for example; find interesting and playful activities that will help them use their time in a positive way; for example:

• Try creating moments without screens and smartphones with your children, so that you can spend more time together. It is up to you to choose the appropriate times during the day: it can be during meals, before going to bed, during homework, etc.
• You may also set limits for the family to respect regarding the use of screens. Once your children realize that you respect them, they will do the same.
• Another way to ensure a very good media balance and family well-being is to use parental control options (check our “Must-see” section). These allow you to control and limit the information your children can view on the Internet. Parental controls come in handy because they prevent the spread of unhealthy media and you decide what content can be accessible to your children, until they are old enough to use technology wisely.
• Having screen-free time doesn’t mean prohibiting everything digital to your children. Doing so will automatically increase your children’s curiosity and desire to use them. They are social partners, so it is important to find the right balance to promote their use in a reasonable manner.
• We also advise you to adopt and participate in playful and constructive activities at home. You may for example, play board games, watch age-appropriate TV programs together, etc. In a way, you should be role models for your children, because they will always look up to you and what you do.
• You can also adopt the French psychologist Tisseron’s method: no screens before the age of 3, no video games before the age of 6, no internet before the age of 9 and no social networks before the age of 12. This will help you control the use of technological devices and tools without prohibiting them.

Digital footprint and Identity

When children are old enough have online accounts and create content, it is important to help them leave a positive fingerprint, one that won’t embarrass them or cause them trouble. In order to better guide and protect their online identity, we recommend that you:

• Discuss with your children, to help them understand the importance of sharing as little information as possible online. In fact, you must help them protect themselves and carefully choose the image they want to project.
• You need to show them the importance of protecting their data online and on social networks. Why not take the example of a celebrity on Instagram or Twitter to illustrate your point? That way, you can ask them about their opinion and the image they would like to project online.
• Try to find out what information they want to share online and why. Discuss with them in order to understand their motivation and the image they want to give to others.
• You can also set up a game: using search engines and social networks to search for your name. Right after, you can discuss your projected image, and determine whether you are satisfied and agree that strangers have access to it.

Relationships and Communication

Generally, with the use of digital services, it is easy to engage in unhealthy practices: cyberbullying, questionable morals, hate speech, etc. In order to better protect your children, we recommend that you:

• Control the friendships and the interactions they have online.
• Whether they are online or offline, their interactions must comply with specific rules: they must be courteous and respectful. Written exchanges are quite delicate and the people with whom they discuss online cannot see them face. Therefore, they can misinterpret the message your children wish to transmit. That is why we advise you to teach them on how to adequately express themselves on the internet, and to understand the consequences of their words.
• They should use appropriate, transparent and unambiguous words. Do not hesitate to make them understand that their message can be interpreted differently from what they actually want to transmit. We also encourage the use of emojis, because they help to truly convey the right message.
• Good communication also requires the development of strong instincts. This will help your children decode inappropriate conversations, and it is your duty to guide them into acquiring these.
• At your level, you can also learn the way young people communicate online.  This will allow you to keep an eye on what is going on and understand their environment. It will help to stay alert for defamatory comments, cyberbullying and the images they post or share.

Relationships and Communication

Generally, with the use of digital services, it is easy to engage in unhealthy practices: cyberbullying, questionable morals, hate speech, etc. In order to better protect your children, we recommend that you:

• Control the friendships and the interactions they have online.
• Whether they are online or offline, their interactions must comply with specific rules: they must be courteous and respectful. Written exchanges are quite delicate and the people with whom they discuss online cannot see them face. Therefore, they can misinterpret the message your children wish to transmit. That is why we advise you to teach them on how to adequately express themselves on the internet, and to understand the consequences of their words.
• They should use appropriate, transparent and unambiguous words. Do not hesitate to make them understand that their message can be interpreted differently from what they actually want to transmit. We also encourage the use of emojis, because they help to truly convey the right message.
• Good communication also requires the development of strong instincts. This will help your children decode inappropriate conversations, and it is your duty to guide them into acquiring these.
• At your level, you can also learn the way young people communicate online.  This will allow you to keep an eye on what is going on and understand their environment. It will help to stay alert for defamatory comments, cyberbullying and the images they post or share. 

Cyberbullying and Hate speech

Cyberbullying and hate speech are serious threats. A person who experiences hate speech and persecution online can be subject to depression. That’s why it is necessary that you educate yourself and your children about this serious issue.

They must know the importance of good behavior on social Medias and recognize when they, in turn, are being harassed. Discuss with them and build a strong sense of trust. In this way, when they are harassed, they will surely let you know. To ensure that your child is not subject to cyberbullying, you can:

• Control their online interactions; keep an eye on their networks.
• Communication is the key: communication is important and it is your duty to teach your children to confide in you. That way, they will tell you if they experience cyberbullying and hate speech.
• When children experience the speech and cyberbullying, you can also teach them how to block people online.
• In the event of a repeated or serious harassment, you can also take screenshots and contact the competent authorities or people who can help you.

News & Media Literacy

Your role in supporting your children is to help them decode online information and differentiate between that which is true and false. Guide them into developing critical thinking skills; they must acquire the skills to verify information and understand the messages behind everything they see online.

This is the only way they will be good digital citizens and use new technologies wisely. Your role therefore consists in:

• Showing them how to research different sources online, and discuss with them the information found. In this way, they will be able to analyse all the data they find on the internet and understand the different views presented.
• Playing together, looking for advertisements that appear on the pages you have visited.
• Introducing them to platforms such as Snopes (in English) or hoaxbuster (in French) that fight against misinformation in order to prevent the spread of hoaxes.
• Helping children develop critical thinking skills. Thus, they will be skeptical of the information they find online, until they learn the truth. It will also encourage them to verify the truthfulness of each source of information.
• Explaining to children the importance of sharing true and respectful information.