Digital for Good: Raising Kids to Thrive in an Online World, reviewed

We look at this topical book by Richard Culatta, published by Harvard Business Review. You can buy it here. 

Digital for Good: Raising Kids to Thrive in an Online World, reviewed

This is a timely, positive and thought provoking book. We need a more nuanced approach to how we parent children and their use of technology. There are so many ways in which it is a powerful and empowering tool, while at the same time we don’t want our children approached in inappropriate ways via social media and fake profiles. This summer for example, in lieu of covid related restrictions many kids are taking part in remote story writing workshops with other children of similar age and interests. For rural, remotely based kids this is a wonderful thing.

Culatta aims to get to the bottom of the many positive and exciting ways that technology can help aid children’s growth and development, while also aiming to high light best practices and good tips to avoid misuse too. The same kids who are doing the creative writing, at times, are also running parallel social media accounts that they think their parents don’t know about.

Which then can endanger them and expose them to the very risks that the parents are trying to avoid. In this context Culatta’s book is a good read, and he does advocate for some best case scenarios. Books like this are valuable, useful and needed now. We enjoyed reading it, and hope that others can benefit from it also.

More about the book

Publication Date: July 20, 2021

Kids deserve a better digital future. Help them create it. When it comes to raising children in a digital world, every parent feels underprepared and overwhelmed. We worry that our children will become addicted to online games, be victims of cyberbullying, or get lost down the rabbit hole of social media. We warn them about all the things they shouldn’t do online, but we don’t do nearly enough to teach them the skills of digital well-being. It’s time to start a new conversation.

In “Digital for Good,” EdTech expert Richard Culatta argues that technology can be a powerful tool for learning, solving humanity’s toughest problems, and bringing us closer together. He offers a refreshingly positive framework for preparing kids to be successful in a digital world, one that encourages them to use technology proactively and productively, by outlining five qualities every young person should develop in order to become a thriving, contributing digital citizen: Be balanced: understand when and how much tech use is healthy

Stay informed: discern between true and false information; Be inclusive: treat others with respect and kindness online; Be engaged: use tech to strengthen family relationships and community connections; Stay alert: exercise caution and create safe digital spaces for others. This practical guide will help parents and children discover the path to becoming effective digital citizens, all while making our online world a better place.

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