Digital Life Skills for Youth by Angela Crocker

Yes! An important research finding. Thanks to our friends at The Friendship Bench for finding this CBC piece.

While youth tend to communicate through social media and texts, let's show them that it is okay to take a break and that they "don't have to make a big deal about going offline."

Part of growing up digital is figuring out which things to do online and which to do offline. As I wrote the book, I asked parents and teachers what analog skills they hope youth will learn and remember. Their answers included reading a paper map, reading a clock or watch with hands, and the joy of making pencil notes in the margins of a print book. What would you add to the list?

Embrace "posted with permission". As a parent, you regularly make decisions about what content to share about the kids in your life. What's important is to think about the impact of that photo, quote, or video. Talk to your older children and teens to share your thinking when it's okay to share something online. If they disagree, don't post the content. Post only with permission and model how to respect someone else's digital footprint.

Online friendships can be awkward. When kids and teens are just learning how to build and maintain friendships, the digital element can make it extra challenging. Let's guide them along the way. What about showing them how facial expression and tone influence the meaning of our words? The experience of an in person or video chat with visual clues is really different than a text message's words alone.