Parenting and Media

“Professor Gives Tips on Protecting Children in the Digital Age” by Michael Edwards, on Professor Charles Knutson, BYU Computer Science dept.

Completely cutting off a child from interaction with technology and the internet, Knutson said, should be avoided because it would rob the child of the chance to learn to limit themselves in the safety of the home.
“If you pull the plug you forfeit the opportunity for the child to make the mistakes they’re going to make in a protected environment,” he said.
Knutson then went on to talk about various parenting styles and their inherent strengths and weaknesses.
First, he discussed authoritarian parenting, which is parenting with a great deal of external control. He said the weakness of this type of parenting is it doesn’t allow kids the chance to make their own decisions or prepare them for temptations they will encounter once they leave the home.
Next, he talked about permissive parenting, which essentially involves no external control – because the parents think that is best, or because they’re simply not there. He said this is dangerous because there are no morals or guidelines passed on to the children.
Third, and most effective in helping children cope with digital temptations, Knutson talked about authoritative parenting. He said this parenting philosophy has clear standards of conduct for the children, and its discipline is supportive, not punitive.
“Authoritative parents take the perspective that their job is to empower their children to independently make good choices,” Knutson said, quoting Nancy Willard, a professional in the realm of safe and responsible use of the Internet.