In today’s hyper-connected world, children and teenagers spend an increasing amount of their time online, where they engage with friends, family, and content creators.  They are also exposed to a wide range of ideas, ideologies, and influences. One of the most pressing concerns for parents and guardians today is how to navigate the complexities of children’s online presence and the often dangerous influence of digital spaces. 

Here we are with the lessons from the show Adolescence. This emotional and eye-opening limited series shares subtly the internet’s power to shape the identities of young people especially young children. It also sheds the far-reaching consequences of the use of social media beyond normal conversations.

Parents are now searching for terms like "the 80/20 rule" and "red pill." After watching the well-meaning but naive adults in Adolescence, many are eager to take action. That’s a smart response. Online extremism doesn’t always look like hate groups or violent messages—it can be much more subtle. According to Common Sense Media, extremist groups have targeted youth through various digital channels, including memes, videos, and music. These tactics are often subtle and presented as harmless banter or empowering messages and designed to draw in young people without them even realising they are being manipulated. The algorithms that power social media platforms amplify this problem by pushing inappropriate content that is designed to capture attention, often leading users down a dangerous rabbit hole.

 

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To add on, the movie Adolescence shows us, the Internet does not exist in a vacuum. These ideologies are not new; they are simply more accessible, more extreme, and more personalised in today’s digital age. And while turning off screens may seem like a simple solution, the real answer lies in providing children with the tools to critically navigate the internet and understand its complexities.

As parents, we think we understand how to communicate online—texts, emails, and the occasional social media post. But there's one thing that many of us don't realise. For instance, take emojis.
Emojis are a huge part of how teens talk online, but they don’t always mean what we think they mean. For example, a purple heart emoji might just seem like a cute way to show love to an adult. But for some teens, it can mean something completely different, or even be linked to certain groups, ideas or trends that we might not be aware of. And sometimes those trends might not be the healthiest.

This is a good reminder that emojis aren’t just cute pictures—they can have hidden meanings. And because the internet changes so fast, we can easily fall behind on what these symbols actually mean to our kids.

So, if you see your teen using an emoji that you don’t understand, don’t be afraid to ask what it means. 

 

Related story: This Mindset Can Reduce Stress And Help Raise Smarter Kids

 

4 Ways to Monitor Kids’ Internet Use

Be All Ears

Always be inquisitive to know more about your children. How are they feeling internally? Who are they hanging out with? Being the parent, it is your responsibility to know every bit of our children. Ask your kids what they’re seeing, hearing, and doing online. Don’t just assume you know what’s going on. Give them a fair chance to share their experiences and most importantly feelings. You can ask questions like, “Have you come across anything online that made you feel uncomfortable?” or “What do you think of the influencers you follow?” This helps start important conversations about what they’re exposed to.
If you hear them using extreme language or ideas, don’t ignore it. Instead of getting upset or shutting them down, try to keep an open mind. You can say things like, “Why do you think that?” or “Can you explain what you mean?” This will encourage them to think more deeply about what they’re saying and help you understand where they’re coming from.

 

Teach Media Literacy

Teens today are overwhelmed with content, much of it created to stir up their emotions and influence their actions, which might extend to online bullying. One of the best ways to protect them from harmful ideas is by teaching them how to think critically about what they see online. Help your child understand how recommendation algorithms work and why some content gets more attention than others.
Ask them questions like: “Can you tell if a video or post is trying to get a reaction instead of telling the truth?” or “What do you think influencers like Andrew Tate are really trying to sell?” These questions will help them think more carefully about what they’re watching and why it's being shared.

 

Related story: How To Encourage Your Child To Be Active

 

Don’t Duck “The Talks”

The issues addressed in Adolescence—gender stereotypes, misogyny, mental health, and identity—are not easy to discuss, but they are necessary. Avoiding these topics only creates a void that extremist voices can fill. It’s crucial to have “the talks” about sex, relationships, mental health, and societal pressures—no matter how awkward or uncomfortable they may seem.
Research shows that children want these conversations, even if they don’t initiate them themselves. So take the opportunity to have these important discussions early, before harmful ideologies have a chance to take root. Hence,  talking to kids about online safety is imperative.

 

Model Complexity

The world isn’t black and white, and neither is the internet. Teach your children to recognise the complexities of online spaces. Explain that social media algorithms create different “sides” of the internet, and that some spaces can be supportive, while others can be harmful.

Say something like, “We both know that algorithms can create completely different ‘sides’ of the internet. Some of these sides can help us, and others can hurt us. Let’s keep talking about it and keep an eye on it together.” This fosters an ongoing dialogue and provides a platform for children to express their concerns.

 

Need all your wellness solutions in one place? A whole new world awaits just a click away.