As we step into a new year, tech will continue to shape the way our children interact with the world. With new devices and social media platforms emerging daily, and if your kids received a device for Christmas,  it is crucial  to establish guidelines that help your child develop healthy habits while ensuring their safety. Here are the top five rules that that will not only support you as a parent, but will also keep your child safe online.

Anyone can become an “influencer”. Social media platforms have provided a space for individuals to showcase their talents, hobbies and personal experiences. What happens is the sheer overwhelm of fly by night influencers with a few months of “expertise” and just enough charisma, relatability and aesthetically pleasing content to gain popularity inundates our screens and creates confusion. The reality is authenticity does not always translate to credibility. It is essential for consumers of social media to exercise critical thinking when evaluating information shared by influencers. One of the best things we can do as a consumer is to recognize the vast difference between influencers and experts. In other words, be damn careful of the snake oil swillers of today’s generation. They are the same as they were 100’s of years ago…just dressed in prettier clothes and they no longer have to knock on your door to get in to your home.

What I wasn’t prepared for was after 30 days off-screen, re-entry felt like a complete attack to my senses in the most rude way possible.  The time off allowed me to re-connect with what feels right and good and important in life.  As much as I lecture on this, I discovered I have slowly fallen into the screen connection trap…which led to my  feelings of imbalance and frustration. And re-entry was threatening my new sense of peace. Which begged the question, how the hell do I go back to a job that I love without immersing myself in what caused all of this crap in the first place? I gave myself May 1 as a re-entry date. The closer the date crept, I begin to feel increasingly anxious. Frustrated. Could I just….quit? Maybe I would just continue to do coaching only and wholly remove myself from social media forever. As Brene Brown has said in her recent podcast series “We are not socially, biologically, cognitively and spiritually wired for some of the shit going down right now.” I felt this statement in my bones. And my bones were afraid to get back on that wheel.

In todays world it seems like everyone knows everything about everybody.  And that just feels like a lot of…stuff…for our brains to take in.  What your neighbor had for dinner with their spouse during …#datenight.  How much your friends, friend of a friend is enjoying their vacation…#blessed. How angry the neighbor down the street is with her husband because he won’t help around the house…#whocares The first time your cousins toddler went potty on the potty….#finally. How much your favorite influencers daughter loves to dress up as Elsa and provides 50 pictures of her as proof….#letiggo

Why do we not want an algorithm feeding us only the same stuff? It provides an insanely narrow view of the world. It is restrictive, repetitive… at best monotonous…and at worst narrow-minded. We should desire diversity and new perspectives. A singular algorithmic diet limits our understanding and growth. It confines us to a small bubble that prevents us from exploring the complexities of the world. The narrow lens distorts reality, and hinders our ability to be able to embrace differences and variety. In all things.