KIDS today have access to information in a way that previous generations never had growing up. The challenge for parents is to help them learn how to be responsible digital citizens.
Thankfully, parents also have access to AI-powered apps and devices that can help them safeguard their kids’ online and real-life safety. Tech and AI can provide valuable, accessible, and round-the-clock assistance in safeguarding their children’s wellbeing.
Here are seven ways tech and AI can help parents raise digitally responsible kids and make parenting a little easier.
1. MAXIMIZE GENERATIVE AI TO MAKE LEARNING ABOUT INTERNET SAFETY MORE INTERESTING. Engage kids in internet safety creatively! Meet Bard, Google’s AI chatbot, for fun ideas. Ask simple questions like “How to teach internet safety to kids?” or seek interactive websites to explore with your children.
2. TECH SAFEGUARDS KIDS ONLINE. Google’s tools offer age-based content filtering, screen time monitoring, and device control. Family Link tracks kids under 13, TikTok’s Digital Wellbeing manages TikTok usage, and Circle Home Plus controls internet access and content filters on home devices.
3. TEACHING KIDS EMPATHY THROUGH SITUATIONS IRL. PLDT Home and Google’s Be Internet Awesome series teaches kids empathy through Sam and Robo-berto’s fun adventures. Valuable lessons on digital responsibility, like thinking before clicking and avoiding bullying, are portrayed in the videos.
4. MAKING IT EASIER TO RAISE CRITICAL THINKERS. AI safeguards kids online: It detects and blocks harmful content, identifies cyberbullying, and monitors data for potential risks. Children can learn critical thinking with AI’s help, evaluating information credibility and sources. AI’s prevalence in entertainment can empower kids to assess deepfake technology’s impact on their young minds.
5. KEEPING PARENTS WELL-INFORMED ABOUT THEIR CHILDREN’S LOCATION. AI-powered GPS and geolocation technologies can help parents keep abreast of their children’s whereabouts. Are they in school, with friends, in the mall? Or are they in a place where they would normally not go? Wearable devices like watches or smartphone apps use AI algorithms to provide real-time location updates and geofencing capabilities. They can also alert parents if their child goes beyond predetermined safe zones.
6. MAKING HOMES MORE SECURE. Surveillance and security systems are now so advanced that you can monitor your home 24/7 from your phone. AI-powered cameras and systems use algorithms to analyze video feeds to detect unusual behavior, identify potential dangers — like if someone left the door open — and send an alert.
7. MONITORING THE FAMILY’S HEALTH. Tech has made it possible for wearable devices and smartphones to track vital signs and provide health monitoring. They can detect irregularities in their sleep patterns, heart rate, and activity levels among many others. When these irregularities are detected in your children, the device will alert you to potential health issues.
8. ASSESSING CHILDREN’S DEVELOPMENT. Apps and online tools use AI algorithms to analyze videos or recordings of a child’s behavior and provide insights into their cognitive, motor, and social development. Parents can also use AI-powered scheduling apps to manage their kids’ school routines and homework to simplify the family’s daily schedule.
PLDT Home is committed to keeping children safe online and at the same time giving them access to information that helps in their education, well-being, and growth.