Parenting In A Tech Age: Part I Protection

by Sheila South

A The Kids & Me Contributor

Has your child asked you the question yet? …

... “When can I get a phone?”  

We all know the question is coming.  2026 is the tech age; today's children will not grow up around technology—they will grow up within it. 

When I was a child, The Jetsons cartoon represented a world that felt far away—a futuristic “space age” filled with technology that seemed almost magical. We watched characters communicate through screens, interact with intelligent machines, and live alongside technology that anticipated their needs. What once felt like science fiction has become the everyday reality today's children now inhabit. 

The first time my generation ever imagined facetime. LOL

Fun Diversion: 5 Things From ‘The Jetsons’ That Actually Exist Today:

https://historyfacts.com/science-industry/article/the-jetsons-future-technology/ 

When my children were young, I attempted the “avoid technology” route; keep away negative influences by keeping away the tech. Then for some special occasion, my brother gave the kids a Nintendo 64 video game system.  As I feared, this technology introduced a new struggle in our home. The desire to play quickly became akin to an addictive behavior.

https://thegospelcentral.org/2025/10/31/why-paul-called-the-law-sin-and-death-and-how-the-spirit-sets-us-free-rom-82/

Discussing this later with my brother, he pointed out that the Nintendo was the venue that outed the behavior, but the source of the problem was a trait that lies within us all at some point:  lack of self-control.  Technology did not cause the problem, but it did reveal it. 

This concept is presented to us in the Old Testament in the giving of the Law to Moses.  Sin in mankind did not appear when God gave the Ten Commandments to Moses;  however, the Ten Commandments did illuminate and reveal to the people the sin already present.

Now, as a mom of grown children, I still believe deeply in protecting children from negative, life-altering influences. But with the perspective that comes from experience, I can see that controlling the environment was never meant to be the end goal. The greater calling is to steward the child—help him develop the wisdom, discernment, and character to navigate those influences when he is on his own.

We can think about it this way: we don't expect our children to learn healthy eating by never encountering junk food. We teach them how to make good choices. We don't expect them to become safe drivers by never getting behind the wheel. We gradually teach them the skills they'll need to drive independently.  

Technology works much the same way.

Our children are growing up in a digital world. Their future education, careers, friendships, and even healthcare will involve technology. The question isn't whether they'll use it. The question is whether they'll develop the judgment to use it well.

That means shifting our focus from controlling every moment to coaching every stage.

Rather than ask "When is my child old enough to have a phone?", we as parents should be asking "How do I faithfully prepare my child for the influence this device will have on their heart, mind, relationships, and future?" 

Stewardship is about preparing a child for freedom, not protecting them from negative influences forever.

Read Part II of this series "Parenting in a Tech Age" here.