Sebastian Wachs, PhD (Deputy Professor for Education and Socialization Theory, University of Potsdam; Honorary Research Fellow, Anti-Bullying Centre), discusses the importance of balancing children’s online safety with fostering their autonomy, offering tips for parents and caregivers at the #AskTheExperts webinar “PITR, IKR?: Youth and Communication in the Digital Age” on October 19, 2022.
Read the Video Transcript
[Dr. Sebastian Wachs]: So we need to find a balanced way to shield our children from potential harmful interactions. But on the other side, not being overprotecting and, you know, and don’t allow them to develop. It’s quite important that children and especially adolescents explore the world offline and online, with increasing age, more and more alone, right? So otherwise they don’t develop the skills they need when they’re grown up to cope with differences, to manage several challenges which this life would, yeah, they will face in life. So first of all, I think it’s quite important to be honest and to talk about what kinds of, if you use some kind of monitoring software or something like that, you should be honest and talk with your child about that. You should explore the Internet, like the offline world, with your child together. Talk about spaces that are safe, online websites which are maybe not that safe.
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PITR, IKR?: Youth and Communication in the Digital Age
The latest research (and perspectives from teens themselves) on trends in youth digital communication and tips for creating positive and connection-centered communication online or offline.
Ann Cameron, PhD
Honorary Emerita Professor of Psychology; Emerita Professor
Sherry Turkle, PhD
Abby Rockefeller Mauzé Professor of the Social Studies of Science and Technology; Founding Director, MIT Initiative on Technology and Self
Sebastian Wachs, PhD
Deputy Professor for Education and Socialization Theory; Honorary Research Fellow
Richard Guerry
Founder and Executive Director