Teach kids to navigate social media, experts at ReDi Digital Dialogue

Ahmedabad: With social media becoming omnipresent, it is the responsibility of parents to make children aware of safe practices and to empower them to navigate the world of social media, experts said at the ReDi Digital Dialogue 2019, organized by ReDi to mark World Social Media Day on Sunday.

Taking part in a panel discussion on “Parenting in the digital age”, Anupama Singh, Educationist & Principal, Jamnabai Narsee School, GIFT City, said, “Parenting in the 21st century is a daunting task but it is not insurmountable. Digital Technology is an integral part of life and offers immense potential. We have to teach kids how to navigate through the cyber world. We have to make them aware of safe practices that ensure their safety on social media platforms.”

Vijay Shankar Kanthan, C4D officer, UNICEF India said, “We look at Parenting and Digital Technology as two pillars. We can’t keep children away from social media, but as parents we have to empower them to navigate in the world of social media.”

More than 150 participants including social media users, influencers, professionals, and experts from various fields attended the event, organized in partnership with UNICEF India and supported by the Centre for Communications of Child Rights, an SLS-PDPU initiative.

Talking about the craze of mobile phone games, Akshay Sethia, digital media expert & Founder Director & Chief Strategist at Dezine Brainz Digital, said, “Parents criticize games they haven’t played. So they don’t know what their kids are experiencing and why he/she is glued to the screen. As parents, you need to align with the world of your children in order to provide the right perspective.”

Prachi Mihir Shah, Parent Educator & Founder of The Milestone Preschool, too said that parenting plays an important role in the digital era.

In his address on “Using Digital Media for Governance” during the Special Speakers session, senior IAS officer Mukesh Kumar said, “In governance, social media helps in outreach, interaction, and engagement with citizens and to collect feedback from beneficiaries of government schemes and programmes. It provides last mile reach and helps in building the image of the organization,” Kumar, who is vice-chairman & CEO of Gujarat Maritime Board, said at the event.

The session also saw Sanjay Adesara, CEO of Gujarat Fortune Giants, speaking on “Impacting Sports Through Digital Integration”.

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“We see the integration of technology in sports and a lot of analytics is used for it. Storytelling format with sports franchisee on social media is a hit. Similarly, fans posing questions, and sportspersons answering them live has gained popularity,” he said.

The event also saw a special musical performance by Shyamal-Saumil.