What should parents do for their children in a digital age?

Parents have both physical and spiritual roles to fulfil in the lives of their children. Parents should be actively involved in providing for the physical and spiritual needs of children. This is why the Bible places such great emphasis on the role of parents in children's education.

The Book of Proverbs writes:

Train a child in the way he should go,
and when he is old he will not turn from it.
(Proverbs 22:6)

The principle is clear. However, the way we apply this principle must be adapted to the circumstances.

In a digital like ours, there are many perils on the internet which endanger our children. James Poh Ching Ping wrote in a letter to TODAY, "Internet, sex addiction deserves attention, too" (7 November 2013):

... I hope more attention can be paid to Internet Addiction Disorder.

Singapore has one of the highest computer and Internet penetration rates in Asia. Many are introduced to the Internet at home and in school at a very young age and they are exposed to gadgets and popular computer games almost every day.

This is no longer a trivial matter as we see children becoming addicted to computer games. It affects not just one person, but also the family and others around the addict.

In China, where nearly 20 per cent of adolescents are said to be suffering from Internet Addiction Disorder, they have started camps for such teens. Those suffering from severe computer addiction may display symptoms such as mood swings when they do not have access to a computer or the Internet, the tendency to sleep little, skip meals or have a poor diet, little motivation to interact with others, and so on.

I hope more can be done to help this group in Singapore.

In response, Parenting Specialist Agnes Goh from Focus on the Family Singapore advised in "Parents must guide children to be discerning users of digital media" (8 November 2013):

With reference to the letter (“Internet, sex addiction deserves attention, too”, Nov 7), the truth of the matter is that, with an increasing “high-tech, low-touch” society, it is possible that our children can become experts in navigating social networking sites and text messaging but are ill-equipped in face-to-face interactions.

We must recognise that we are unable to completely protect our tech-savvy children from unsuitable images that are widely available in the digital era. More importantly, we must equip them to separate the treasure from the trash.

First, let’s make time to explore the natural world with our children. The issue is not just what children are watching and listening to. It is also what they are missing out on while watching or listening to media.

Expose them to different outdoor activities and hobbies and get involved with them. In fact, having a loving relationship with our children is one of the best ways to teach them about having healthy relationships with others.

Second, let’s take up the mantle to give our children a healthy view of sex, love and relationships. This is a hard topic for some parents to broach with their children. However, if they do not hear it from you, they will hear it from a multitude of sources that may not have their best interests at heart.

The Ministry of Social and Family Development’s FamilyMatters@Community and the Health Promotion Board offer a variety of programmes and resources aimed at helping parents talk to their children about sex. As parents, we can be equipped with the skills to engage our children, and be empowered to coach them.

Finally, we need to draw age-appropriate boundaries and limits on media usage for our children and, at the same time, teach them values and principles. These will undergird knowledge and behaviour so that when they are older, they can make wise decisions.

By being involved parents who actively engage in our children’s lives, including how they use the media, we can teach them to be discerning individuals.

This is good advice.

Godly values and good skills are some of the greatest gifts that parents can impart to their children in any age.