Recently, the United Nations has coined a term to address the educational needs of this era: “Digital Parenting.” This term aims to draw attention to the different roles parents have toward their children. Parents must recognize the characteristics of the Black Mirror generation (those who watch television, iPads, and mobile phones), to understand the distinctive features of this generation that grew up in front of screens, and how the circumstances of their era have changed them, so that they can provide successful parenting.
There are many studies that have studied the changes and features of this generation. I will mention some of the most important and summarized characteristics:
- Inflated self-esteem, pride in the ego, and putting it above everything else.
- Increase the rate of creativity that has surpassed all human creativity since the beginning of time.
- Weak and fragile values, with emphasis on appearance at the expense of essence.
- Low level of social awareness due to lack of human communication.
- Deterioration of ethics and polite ways of dealing with the group.
Emotional rashness, impulsiveness, and often resorting to violence in dealing with others.
- Lack of patience and ambition. They cannot stand slow learning and it is difficult for them to compete with the screen. This has led to them hating school and dropping out of school.
They have an addiction to screens, as the happiness hormone is only secreted in front of a screen, and they feel anxious and unattractive to anything other than screens.
- Health problems, poor general health, sleep disturbances, poor fitness, hysteria, and a lack of priorities and daily routine.
These were the most prominent characteristics of the Black Mirror generation. Knowing them now prompts us to think about two things:
1- How to deal with children properly?
2- How do we face these challenges to bring them to safety and fulfill the duty of proper upbringing?
There are many ways for educators, as upbringing methods vary between authoritarianism, neglect, and care... I will not go into describing them all, but I will describe what the educator should be distinguished by at this stage, and let us call him the wise and mature.
First: Perhaps the most important qualities are love, acceptance, showing feelings, and spreading love to the extent that leads to a warm and positive relationship.
Second: Establish clear rules and regulations in partnership with your children that ensure their safety and define their daily routine. To ensure the success of these rules and regulations, educators must be determined, steadfast, and firm in their implementation, urging children to adhere to and respect them.
Examples of some controls that the educator can put in place: - Permission must be sought before connecting to the Internet or logging into any account.
- Prevent accepting any invitations from friends and guests without informing the educator.
– Preventing the exchange of personal information.
- Block the aggressor or inappropriate sites.
Third: Paying attention and being vigilant to the risks to which children are exposed, and being aware of the dangers and cybercrimes such as spying, blackmail, etc., and not being negligent, and the necessity of observing and being present with them, as the presence of a degree of anxiety makes the educator feel unsafe from the pitfalls and negatives of digital relationships, which could harm his child, provided that the degree of anxiety does not exceed its limit and harm the level of trust in the child and respect for his privacy.
Fourth: Empowering children and honing their digital skills to enhance their ability to navigate the digital space safely and professionally, balancing between providing resources so they don't become illiterate in their digital age, and preventing them from becoming addicted.
Fifth: The educator must be a role model and example, not sitting for hours in front of devices. We must also increase the child’s social interaction with family members, and present him with diverse human models from whom he can learn the ethics of social interaction.
Dear educator, instill the love of Allah, His Messenger, and the correct creed in the hearts of your children. Establish values from an early age and review them constantly. Make your child feel that Allah is watching him and sees him and knows his secrets and his open actions. Do not complain about the times or blame the environment, as complaining weakens resolve. Remember that screens are a blessing like anything else. They are neutral tools and do not cause addiction in and of themselves. However, misuse is what makes them dangerous. What causes addiction could be the child’s enthusiasm, love of discovery, curiosity, or desire to have fun… What is more dangerous is the absence of guidance, supervision, and controls.
So trust your abilities, review your goals, and conjure up the image of what you want your child to be like in the future.
So, make up your mind and put your trust in God. Do not hesitate to limit screen time and do not give in to your child’s pressure. You are the one responsible and who makes the decision and reaps the consequences. Our children spending long hours in front of screens does not make them more intelligent. Talk to your child and spend time with him. There is no alternative to human interaction to instill values and ethics. Be a leader for your children, listen to them and avoid blame and reprimand. Talk to them, encourage them and remind them. Offer love and respect privacy. Establish values and review them. Hold accountable those who fall short. Face problems with courage and responsibility. Rely on God and trust in Him and arm yourself with supplication to God to help you, guide your children and protect them.