The Path to Digital Independence
As kids develop, their social experiences become increasingly important. Click below to find out how their personal development influences how they choose to interact with technology. Please note that age is not really relevant. Some kids hit developmental milestones earlier, and some later.
Your Kids’ First Solo Steps Online
This can be a very joyous time of discovery when your child begins to realize how much information and media are at their fingertips. At this stage, children are not very interested in socializing online; rather, the Internet represents access to a world of YouTube videos, TV shows, online games, Wikipedia pages, TikTok For You Pages, etc.
When Your Tween Becomes Social Online
As your child’s social world begins to expand, technology will become a cornerstone for supporting their growing social needs. Developmentally, kids tend to be more focused on quantity over quality of friendships, which makes social media such a draw, where it’s all about the number of ‘likes’ and comments their posts have or how many ‘followers’ they can gain.
What Older Teen’s Online Relationships Look Like
As teens get older, their image becomes everything to them. This means their social media sites become much more carefully curated. They are also starting to search for intimacy in their friendships and will likely be engaging in their first relationships. The 24/7 accessibility through technology makes it ideal for supporting this need.
