Raising Digitally Fluent Kids

How to help your children navigate technology with discernment, not just dependency

A few weeks ago, a mom group reached out with a request:
"Can you come talk to us about digital safety for our kids?”

They weren’t asking about firewalls and malware. They were asking about the daily decisions: what apps to allow, how much screen time is too much, whether AI toys are safe, and how to raise kids who can think critically in a world shaped by devices and algorithms.

That conversation made something crystal clear:
Parents are hungry for guidance on how to raise tech-savvy kids without handing their development over to the algorithm.

So, here’s what I’m doing.

Over the next several Fridays, I’m sharing a weekly series for parents, parent figures, community members, and educators who want to raise children with digital fluency and digital discernment—and who want to do it in a way that’s realistic, affirming, and grounded in how tech actually shows up in our schools, homes, and lives.

This is not about fear.
This is about power.

Why This Series?

We’ve hit an inflection point.
AI is being built into everything from toys to tutoring apps. Search engines are no longer neutral tools, they're opinionated. Social media isn’t just social; it’s behavioral infrastructure. And many schools, by no fault of their own, are unequipped to teach kids how to think critically about tech, not just use it.

If we want our kids to grow up informed, empowered, and capable of self-determination, we have to raise them to be tech literate and digitally discerning on purpose.

And let’s be real:
If you’re a parent today, you are your child’s first Chief Technology Officer, Chief (Information) Security Officer, & Chief Privacy Officer.

What You’ll Get

Each week, we’ll zoom in on a different age group. I’ll break down:

• What skills to teach at each stage

• How to model digital discernment at home

• Real-world tools, questions, and rituals to build fluency

• Resources that won’t waste your time or your child’s attention span

We’re skipping the guilt. We’re skipping the fluff.
This is about helping your child understand how tech works, who it serves, what it takes from them, and how they can use it with intention, not just instinct.

Coming Up

🔹 Next Friday: Under 3: Start With Connection, Not Content

We’ll skip 4th of July, because I know you have fireworks or a cookout to attend and resume

🔹 Friday July 11: Ages 3–6 – Building Digital Curiosity, Not Dependence
Your preschooler doesn’t need coding lessons. They need wonder, language, and healthy boundaries. We’ll talk about co-viewing, play-first tech, and what “digital balance” looks like in early childhood.

🔹 Then each week after...

• Ages 7–9: Spotting ads, asking better questions, introducing digital privacy

• Ages 10–12: Search skills, early identity management, emotional IQ online

• Ages 13–15: Algorithm awareness, social influence, tech boundaries

• Ages 16–18: Digital power, public presence, preparing for AI-first futures

• All Ages: Parenting in the age of AI: what changes, what stays the same

Want to Join the Movement?

• Subscribe now so you don’t miss a post.

• Share this with a fellow parent who feels behind (they’re not).

• Start talking tech with your kid: understand their questions, app use, and level of excitement about tech —no lectures.

You don’t need to be a cybersecurity expert or a coder.
You just need to care and commit to walking this journey with your kid.

Because tech is here to stay.
The question is: How do we raise kids who can meet it with eyes wide open and values intact?

Let’s build that toolkit, together.

Note: These posts build on each other, and some of the tools or resources from earlier age groups may still be relevant to your child today. If this topic resonates with you, I encourage you to read the full series, you might find insights that apply across stages.