The Fears We Face In The Digital Age

When I started my conversations and articles on DigitalAgeConversations I did not know how far and how fast this passion I had to spread the gospel of safe and responsible online internet use would take me. My first experience was speaking casually to parents from my children’s school trying to find what their thoughts and feelings were about the impact and influence of technology on their children. I soon learnt that to some it was a non-issue, a matter of going with the flow and like all parenting skills learning as you go. To others it was a terrifying and unchartered area and they came pretty close to begging me to help them make the “right” decisions in this regard.

It was at that point, and also from the information that I kept receiving from my children regarding their experiences and that of friends in the online space, that I made a decision to speak up on the lessons learnt and provide advise where I could. Speaking to children was pretty daunting because they seemed to be so well versed on what was what in the tech and digital space and I must admit I felt a little intimidated by their knowledge and questions. However, what kept me motivated to continue speaking up on these issues was that although these children were so tech savvy and confident in their digital spaces, I sensed a lot of fears and possible exposure to various dangers.

One fear was that of being left behind or fear of missing out (FOMO). Most young people did not really know or truly appreciate the value of and power that lies within their grasp as they navigate and explore the digital world.

Most of them were more concerned about being one of the “cool” kids who own tech (preferably the latest of it and having large followings and likes on social media. They feared that not having LARGE followings on social media was a reflection of their own shortcomings and failures to positively integrate into the real world. To them it did not matter who or why they were being followed online, all that mattered was the numbers.

Another fear was that of not being able to ALWAYS portray the BEST possible version of themselves. Most of them felt that they were under some invisible pressure to be “on point” or “on fleek” ALL the time they went online. Therefore a lot of valuable time and effort was spent taking numerous photos and videos of themselves and each other in the most “stunning” and often provocative poses possible. Pressure to have great skin, the best clothes, to be in the best company, to be visiting the most awesome places went through the roof! Most of them felt that looking good online meant a whole lot more than doing well in school, sport or any other discipline or even being kind, courteous or respectful.

The fears also extended to not being on ALL forms of social media and online resources. For young people... and some grown ups it became an obsession to be jumping on every single thing that found itself into the digital space including social media, games and apps.

On speaking to parents and educators the fears mostly involved the safety of their children and students. It was clear that someone had to do something and I thank God for giving me that interest and motivation to help every single person I could to deal with the fears that they faced in the digital age.

For a start it was absolutely essential to remind everyone that the digital age is not to be feared. We are greater than anything that can ever be thrown in our way. The most important thing to always remember when dealing with online fears or anxiety is that we are who we are online and offline. It is clear that in real life we want to achieve, to conquer, to love, to be loved, to be successes and leave lasting legacies. With that in mind we should not be pressured by online trends that go against the fabric of who we are and what we value neither should we be afraid to try new things and let go of those things that do not work for us or fulfill us.

As parents, particularly Christian parents and caregivers, we are still bound to be guides and good role models to the young people in our lives. Their pressures may be strange, even ridiculous to us but the children and young people within our spheres of influence need us to be responsible, knowledgeable, supportive, firm, caring, loving and mature parents and guardians. We have to be good role models that will help the young people to successfully and fearlessly navigate the digital space.

Fear not!