Digital Smarts - Opinion Piece: Parents Need to Help Kids Navigate Social Media

Teachers and parents may want to evaluate how they view social media when it comes to youth, says Rick Hess, a resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute and the director of the think tank’s Education Policy Studies. In this commentary, Hess asserts that social media can be valuable, but that kids need to be better equipped and trained to navigate its complexities and reminds adults that “Social media tends to reward outrage and certainty. It has little use for empathy or nuance.” The same way you would never toss your child the keys and expect them to drive well their first time, parents should guide their children in navigating the world of social media.