SHAH ALAM - Equipping parents and children with digital literacy skills is key to reducing the risks of online exposure, says criminologist Shankar Durairaja.
Shankar said addressing the challenges of digital parenting in modern society required a balanced and informed approach that considered both the parents’ and children’s needs.
He said in today’s fast-paced world, blaming parents for children’s online behaviours was overly simplistic.
"Parents now work 12-hour shifts, face long commutes and deal with their own reliance on social media.
"This reality cannot be ignored and we must adopt strategies that reflect this new normal," he said.
Shankar said parents should first develop their own digital literacy to understand the online risks their children faced, enabling them to provide effective guidance.
He said this awareness would help them have better conversations and set clear boundaries.
Shankar further stressed the importance of one-on-one communication between parents and children urging parents to have some negotiation with their children on screen time limits.
"For example, clinical psychologists often recommend a maximum of two hours daily, while some suggest 30 minutes.
"These limits should be tailored to the child and supported by engaging in alternative activities like sports or hobbies," he added.
Shankar said the final step in digital parenting was vigilance where parents can leverage technology to monitor their children’s online activity.
He said parental control apps and software were essential for monitoring content, adding that while they increased parents' responsibilities, they were a necessary adjustment.
"What we used to do traditionally, we now do digitally. It’s the same role, just in a different form," he said.