My dad brought home a computer and connected it to AOL internet when I was in grade seven. Our whole family was naive to the dangers this brought — but I’ll spare you the details. Through that experience I learned two important parenting lessons: never underestimate a 10-year-old’s ability to lie and do some research before giving your children access to technology.
By now we’ve all heard stories of digital addiction, of depression precipitated by social media, or of child predators creating fake accounts. It should go without saying that it’s unsafe to give kids unrestricted and untrained access to a smartphone. Parents who love set boundaries.