Guide to Raising Future-Ready Kids

Section 2:Parenting in the 21st Century

In a recent study, 66% of parents with children under the age of 18 said that parenting today is harder than it was 20 years ago, and most blamed the impact of digital technology.

In our Future of Work section, we explained why technology will play a central role in our children’s careers, but computers and smart devices are not just a part of every job - they’ve immersed our everyday lives. 

Parenting in a digital world

Today, the average household has 25 connected devices, a figure that has increased from 11 in 2019, largely due to the Covid-19 pandemic. In a recent Pew Research report, 54% of parents with children between the ages of 5 and 8, and 73% of those with children aged between 9 and 11, said their child uses a desktop or laptop, figures which rise to 58% and 68% respectively when asked about gaming devices, and 64% and 80% when asked whether their children used a tablet. 

60% of these parents with a child younger than 12 said their child interacts with a smartphone, and 60% of these parents said they began to do so before the age of 5. When it comes to social media, 42% of parents whose child has their own smartphone also say their child uses TikTok, and 31% say their child uses Snapchat.

“It’s a little scary to think about how quickly devices like tablets and smartphones have become a normal part of our everyday lives. All of my kids have been around this type of technology one way or another since the day they were born.”

Elizabeth Tweedale, CEO, Coco Coders

Whether or not you’re in favor of letting your child use digital devices or social media, the data is clear: we’re living in a digital age. So, it’s important as parents to educate ourselves on the potential dangers of over-using or mis-using technological devices and work out how to teach our children to use technology in a way that’s safe, healthy, productive, and fun! 

Tech as a positive education tool

Technology is an important part of every child’s development. Thanks to computers, tablets, smartphones and other smart devices, children today can access the information they want in seconds. They’re empowered to feed their curiosity and even share what they’ve learned with others they’re connected with online. 

“I believe that learning how to use tools like computers, tablets and smartphones is as important as learning to write with pen and paper.”

Elizabeth Tweedale, CEO, Coco Coders

Plus, using digital devices can open up new learning opportunities by giving children the chance to experience things they wouldn’t otherwise have had the chance to experience, such as a virtual tour of the British Museum or observing the lives of zoo animals with a live stream. This is part of the reason why technology is increasingly used in classrooms as a learning aid. Learning in this way is more fun, engaging, and makes it easier for children to understand and retain new concepts, since they can see what they’re learning about. 

This digital approach to education can play a huge role in STEM - learning about Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics, collectively, in a way that reflects real world scenarios.  It promotes creativity, problem solving and collaboration, and often involves the hands-on use of technology, which helps children’s spatial development - an important skill that’s used for a variety of things, like solving a puzzle, reading a map, constructing a house, or designing any product. 

YouTube has emerged as a popular platform for both younger and older kids. In the Pew Research report mentioned above, 81% of parents with a child aged 3 to 4, and 89% of parents with children between the ages of 5 and 11 say their child watches videos on YouTube, and this was also true for 57% of parents with a child aged 2 years old or younger. Almost all of these parents (97%) said YouTube keeps their child entertained, 88% believe it helps them learn new things and 75% recognized how the platform exposes their child to different cultures. 

However, most parents also reported they were concerned about the type of content their children encounter. And indeed, it’s important to be aware of the potential dangers associated, not only with the platform, but with online connectivity and the over-use of technological devices generally. 

Online safety

Cybersecurity is a huge component of today’s tech world, and 84% of businesses say that cybersecurity and resilience is a top priority for 2022. The existence of hackers and online criminals can’t be ignored; technology has increased the number of opportunities for harassment, theft and created privacy issues. So, it’s no surprise that most parents are at least somewhat concerned about their child being the target of online predators, accessing violent or explicit content, or being bullied or harassed online. 

One in three young people across 30 countries surveyed by UNICEF said they have been a victim of online bullying, with one in five reporting to have skipped school due to cyberbullying. In another study, 60% of teenagers reported to have experienced cyberbullying, 70% said someone had, at some point, spread rumors about them online, and 87% of young people had at least witnessed cyberbullying. It’s an issue so rife that teachers report cyberbullying as their number one safety concern in the classroom, according to a recent Google survey. 

One in three young people have been a victim of online bullying

Health & wellbeing

Cyberbullying is just one of the reasons why teenagers and children who report more time using media are more likely to also report mental health issues, including depression. In fact, too much time spent on gaming, smartphones and watching television is linked to heightened levels of anxiety or depression in children as young as 2. So, it’s critical to be informed about your children’s screentime – both, how they’re using their devices, and how long they’re exposed to screens. 

According to the WHO, one of the major reasons for limiting children’s screen time is to ensure they get enough physical activity to maintain a healthy lifestyle. 

“Currently, over 28% of adults and 80% of adolescents are not sufficiently physically active. If healthy physical activity, sedentary behavior and sleep habits are established early in life, this helps shape habits through childhood, adolescence and into adulthood.”

World Health Organization

The key to teaching children to develop healthy habits when it comes to using tech, is to ensure it’s only one part of a balanced lifestyle. Ensuring they’re spending enough time being active is paramount, and according to Dr, Dr Juana Willumsen at the WHO, “What we really need to do is bring back play for children.”

Social skills

Another theme of parental concern relates to children’s interpersonal development. Children largely develop communication, cognitive, and social skills through their relationships with caregivers and other adults and peers. So, 71% of parents say they’re concerned that the use of smartphones by children aged 11 or younger could hurt their ability to learn effective social skills and develop healthy friendships. 

Indeed, face-to-face engagement is important for children to understand and use verbal and non-verbal communication, develop empathy, learn social manners, and importantly, recent research has shown that screen time is negatively associated with social skills development in toddlers. Specifically, levels of disruptive social behaviors, such as being bossy or bullying, increased with more screen time activity. 

On the other hand, for many, using social media platforms, texting, and using other apps allows them to stay connected to peers and foster friendships with people around the world who have shared interests and goals. So, again, it’s about finding a healthy balance, as is the case with every aspect of our lifestyles. 

Limiting screen time (more on that below) is one strategy for ensuring in-person social interaction, but it’s also important to make sure you create regular opportunities for them to spend time with you, their family, and their friends.

Being a good digital role model 

More than half of parents (56%) say they spend too much time on their smartphones, while 68% admit they are at least sometimes distracted by their phone when spending time with their children. So, in addition to monitoring your child’s screen time, you need to consider building healthy habits for the whole family.  

This can include putting phones away at the dinner table, removing TVs and other devices from bedrooms to encourage the whole family to watch TV together, or even working and completing homework in common areas. As well as increasing the time you spend together, this gives you the opportunity to take an interest in what your child is doing – whether it’s homework, a game they like, a hobby they’re practicing – seeing what your child uses digital devices for allows you to have conversations about the things they’re learning, the passions they’re developing, and hence show them your support. 

“It’s not easy to balance work and home life at the best of times, but it’s all the more important when you have children watching you to learn how it’s done!”

Elizabeth Tweedale, CEO, Coco Coders

If you’re a parent who has to work from home, at least on occasion, it’s hard to avoid your child noticing that you’re spending hours in front of a screen. But take this as an opportunity to teach them balance - be a good role model in how you limit your screen time, ensure you get enough offline time, enough exercise and enjoy entertainment that doesn’t involve a screen. Go for a walk, play a game, dance and sing, or simply relax and have a talk without screens.

Limiting your child’s tech time

86% of parents with a child aged 5 to 11 say they limit the time of day or length of time their child can use screens. 

You can do a lot to control your child’s use of the family computer, or their own computers, by creating dedicated accounts for them, on both Windows and Mac devices. That will allow you to limit the amount of time they spend on those computers, but also restrict what type of apps or content they can access, and get a report on their usage.

Similarly, most tablets, smartphones and even smartwatches - whether on iOS or Android - include built-in features for limiting screen time and restricting access.

If your child likes to read at bedtime, consider prioritizing physical books as opposed to e-readers, or encourage them to use blue light-blocking glasses that will help them sleep better.

Teaching them to be tech-savvy

Rather than simply enforcing limits and restrictions on tech use, you should try to create boundaries together with your child. Discuss why it’s important to have a balance, and agree with them what is an appropriate amount of time to spend on devices each day.

Explain the potential dangers of social media and the online world, and show them how to protect themselves by teaching them about privacy. Some key principles include: 

Quality screen time

As we’ll learn in the Screen Time section of our Guide for Raising Future-Ready kids, some types of screen time are better than others. 

Our Coco Coders students have a 60-minute coding lesson each week in small groups of kids of similar ages and experience levels, all run by our vetted, Coco-trained teachers. It’s a great way to blend education with play, as they build their own games and fun animations, while developing their creativity, communication and collaboration skills. 

It also gives you a great opportunity to show an interest in their passion, as they demo their projects to you and show you how they put them together. You’ll be surprised by what they build and how quickly they learn new tech skills.


Sign them up for a free coding lesson to see what it’s all about.