John Palfrey and Nichole Pinkard, Ph.D.: The Connected Parent

In their new book The Connected Parent: An Expert Guide to Parenting in a Digital World, John Palfrey and Urs Gasser present their philosophy for parenting in a digital world: connected parenting, which empowers parents to engage positively with the young people in their life when it comes to digital issues. The connected parent understands the basics of how the digital world works but doesn’t have to be an expert. The connected parent does have to roll up their sleeves and stay abreast of the technology, but it’s also fine to recognize that your child will most likely know more about the technology. What’s more important is to establish—and then keep open—a positive line of conversation about technology with our children. A parent can help kids make sound choices about their use of technology as they grow and as circumstances shift. Instead of always looking for the exact answer, the connected parent looks for a good conversation starter and a way to engage with a child.

The co-authors argue that connected parents shouldn’t let fear guide their approach. Rather, they need to establish a sense of balance for the complex issues. While some online behaviors are risky, digital media provides immense potential for social and emotional growth, increased creativity and productivity, new avenues for learning and for engaging with the world, and opportunities to connect with a more diverse group of friends.

Mr. Palfrey is president of the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation and a former faculty director of the Berkman Klein Center for Internet and Society at Harvard University. He previously served as head of school at Phillips Academy in Andover, MA.

Mr. Palfrey will be interviewed by Nichole Pinkard, Ph.D., Associate Professor in the School of Education and Social Policy at Northwestern University and Faculty Director of the Office Community Education Partnerships. She is the founder of Digital Youth Network and L3, a social learning platform that connects youth’s learning opportunities across the school, home, community, and beyond.

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