Beyond ‘Adolescence’: Parental Engagement In Navigating The Digital Divide

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27 Mar 2025

9 Min Read

Faeza Hasnan (Academic Contributor)

IN THIS ARTICLE

The Netflix show ‘Adolescence’ recently sparked conversations about the impact of technology and social media on children’s wellbeing and the growing challenges parents face in monitoring their children’s digital lives. Today, it’s common to see young children owning a smartphone, spending hours online, either on social media, playing online games, or chatting with friends. In fact, research shows that adolescents engage with digital technology far more than any other generation.

 

Undeniably, technological advancements offer various opportunities, such as access to educational resources, entertainment, and enhanced communication. However, it also brings challenges. Adolescents can become deeply immersed in the digital world, leading to isolation, reduced face-to-face communication, poor social and interpersonal skills, and family conflicts. More concerning are online dangers such as cyberbullying, identity theft, online scams and more. These dangers often fuel parents’ anxiety as they struggle to balance freedom and safety in their child’s digital life.

portrait of faeza

The Generational Gap

A major challenge in managing children’s digital engagement stems from the generational gap between parents and their tech-savvy children. In the final episode of the Netflix series ‘Adolescence’, the parents, Eddie and Manda, reflect on their son's excessive computer use and their inability to control it. Eddie remarks, "You don’t know what they are watching in their room", highlighting the challenges parents face in monitoring their children's digital lives. ​

 

Most parents today grew up socialising face-to-face, while today’s teens build friendships, identities, and self-worth online.  What parents see as excessive screen time, teens view as essential to their social lives. Hence, this makes it difficult for parents to understand their child's deep emotional connection to the digital world. 

 

Psychologist Erik Erikson’s theory of psychosocial development explains this well. Adolescence is a fundamental phase in which individuals develop their identity and self-concept. During this stage, adolescents explore their independence and begin negotiating their rights, including privacy, participation, and self-expression. Naturally, this causes conflict as parents impose boundaries while teens push for autonomy, often clashing over digital usage. Therefore, without effective engagement strategies, this gap can lead to further disengagement and strained family relationships.

Strategies for Effective Parental Engagement

Trust as the Foundation

Ultimately, the most effective parental tool is not surveillance, but trust. Open communication and emotional communication create an environment where adolescents willingly seek parental guidance rather than hiding their online activities. 

 

By shifting from control to collaboration, parents can better protect their children from the digital risks while empowering them to navigate the digital world responsibly and independently. In doing so, they not only safeguard their children’s wellbeing but also nurture stronger, more trusting family relationships in the digital age.

Faeza Hasnan is a registered clinical psychologist and a senior lecturer in the Master of Clinical Psychology programme at the School of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Faculty of Social Sciences and Leisure Management, Taylor’s University. 

This article was also published on The Rakyat Post on 27 March 2025 and The Star Newspaper on 29 March 2025 under the title 'Navigating Online Challenges With Teenagers'.

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