Online Safety

Last fall, my twelve-year-old daughter Maya came to me in tears after a college admissions counselor at a local university outreach event asked her to share her social media username. When she did, the counselor scrolled through her public posts for approximately thirty seconds and then said, “You have a strong online presence. Keep building it thoughtfully.” Maya came home confused and anxious. She had been posting on a public art account since she was nine, sharing her drawings, occasional complaints about school, and photos of her friends. She had never considered that anyone beyond her small circle of followers would evaluate her posts as a reflection of her character. That evening, we sat together at our kitchen table in Seattle, Washington, and reviewed three years of her public posts. Some were wonderful: thoughtful art commentary, encouraging messages to other young artists, and creative project documentation. But others made both of us cringe: a sarcastic comment about a teacher, a photo that included a friend who had not consented to being posted, and a complaint about a family situation that was none of the internet’s business. Maya looked at me and asked, “Can I delete all of it?” I told her the truth: “Some of it, yes. But the internet never really forgets. That is why we need to start managing your digital footprint now.” ...

Last Friday, my 10-year-old excitedly showed me a video claiming that eating chocolate for breakfast makes you smarter. “It has science proof!” he insisted, pointing to a flashy graph. Instead of immediately dismissing it or explaining why it’s wrong, I remembered our family’s commitment to the Life-Ready approach. I sat beside him and asked, “That’s interesting! How could we check if this is really true? What questions should we ask about this video?” The look of excitement mixed with growing curiosity on his face told me we had a perfect opportunity to practice critical thinking in a low-stakes environment. ...

In an era where a child’s digital footprint often begins before birth—through pregnancy apps that track development—parents face an increasingly complex challenge in protecting their children’s digital privacy. The average child encounters dozens of data-collecting platforms before reaching elementary school age, from educational apps to gaming platforms to social media networks. While many of these platforms offer valuable learning and entertainment, they often collect, process, and share data with minimal transparency. ...