{"id":8052,"date":"2014-08-28T15:41:45","date_gmt":"2014-08-28T13:41:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/responsive.jozikids.co.za\/zaparents\/?p=8052"},"modified":"2022-06-22T09:34:30","modified_gmt":"2022-06-22T07:34:30","slug":"review-tech-savvy-parenting-a-guide-to-raising-safe-children-in-a-digital-world","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.jozikids.co.za\/blog\/parenting\/internet\/review-tech-savvy-parenting-a-guide-to-raising-safe-children-in-a-digital-world\/","title":{"rendered":"Review of Tech-Savvy Parenting: A Guide to Raising Safe Children in a Digital World"},"content":{"rendered":"

In Tech-Savvy Parenting: A Guide to Raising Safe Children in a Digital World, parenting expert Nikki Bush and tech guru Arthur Goldstuck put their considerable brains together to guide us, \u2018digital immigrants\u2019, through an increasingly scary world.<\/p>\n

This world is peopled by \u2018digital natives\u2019 \u2013 our children \u2013 who are tech-savvy but not always life-savvy; application-literate but not always emotionally literate; conversing but not always listening. And we, the immigrants, barely speak the language.<\/p>\n

One of the reasons I really value this book as a reference work is that it\u2019s comprehensive; containing the info, explanations, lists and additional references that a parent would need to dip into at each phase of his\/her children\u2019s development \u2013 both in terms of age and in terms of growing technological involvement.<\/p>\n

For instance, my 3.5-year-old doesn\u2019t give me grey hairs when it comes to over-sharing on Facebook or downloading violent games, but I do find it hard to manage her iPad use, especially before bed-time. And in-app purchases? My worst!<\/p>\n

In Tech-Savvy Parenting, you\u2019ll find guidelines, tips and advice relating to:<\/h2>\n

\"tech-savvy<\/p>\n

\u2022 The fact that kids are still conversing, but in multiple layers
\n\u2022 The different categories and age-appropriateness of games
\n\u2022 NetNanny (and other filtering software) and what to block when
\n\u2022 When to give your kid a cellphone
\n\u2022 How to manage the ubiquitous and annoying in-app purchase
\n\u2022 Being honest with yourself about your own attentiveness
\n\u2022 Online reputation, pornography and privacy issues
\n\u2022 Practical parenting guidelines (that are tech-related), per age group<\/p>\n

Be warned:<\/strong> If you\u2019re an active tech user yourself, you may find Chapters 1 and 2 a bit patronising. I\u2019m a 30-something parent who fully appreciates the attractiveness and appeal of the small screen, interactive media and tiny devices. I get why my kid wants to play with tech, because I want to play with tech. I\u2019m not the post office generation, nor the library generation – at least, I haven\u2019t been for 20 years. So I only really got into this book from Chapter 3, which deals partly with gaming.<\/p>\n

Look out for:<\/strong> Lists \u2013 towards the end of the book – of common text message acronyms and emoticons, as well as useful teacher guidelines and digital policies.
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\nBottom line?<\/strong> This book is great. Yes, it unpacks the technology, but the authors (both of whom are parents) never ignore the human element; placing children\u2019s use of technology in the context of the relationship between themselves and their parents. If you have kids and don\u2019t live off the grid, under a small wifi-less rock, in a remote corner of the Klein Karoo, you need to own this book. Serious.<\/p>\n

Tech-Savvy Parenting: A Guide to Raising Safe Children in a Digital World is available at all good book-stores and was supplied for review by Nikki Bush.<\/strong><\/p>\n

This article was originally written for Jozikids by Tiffany Markman in 2014.<\/em><\/p>\n

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