Last winter, a father read an angry letter his 15-year-old
daughter had posted on Facebook. In response, he put nine
bullets into her laptop and posted the video online. Within
weeks, it had garnered millions of hits and tens of thousands of
comments. Why so much attention? Certainly the shock value of
his rage drew people’s attention. But he also verbalized some
very common frustrations of parenting digital natives, and
graphically played out a response to the powerlessness that
parents often feel. Communicating feelings and finding ways to
feel empowered are both important processes--but parents need
ways to do so that support children’s healthy development,
rather than terrifying and humiliating them. Parents need a new
way to relate to their children’s use of technology. They need
information and skills that can help them see, understand, and
feel welcomed to engage with the positive capabilities of these
powerful tools. Here are some research-based ways to develop a
friendly relationship with your childr