Melinda Gates: I spent my career in technology. I wasn’t prepared for … – Washington Post

By Melinda Gates By Melinda Gates August 24 at 7:00 AM

When my youngest child was born in 2002, the flip phone was still the coolest piece of tech you could get. Now Im told that all three of my children are part of what demographers are calling iGen.

I spent my career at Microsoft trying to imagine what technology could do, and still I wasnt prepared for smartphones and social media. Like many parents with children my kids age, I didnt understand how they would transform the way my kids grew up and the way I wanted to parent. Im still trying to catch up.

The pace of change is what amazes me the most. The challenges my younger daughter will be facing when she starts high school in the fall are light-years away from what my elder daughter, whos now in college, experienced in 2010. My younger daughters friends live a lot of their lives through filters on Instagram and Snapchat, two apps that didnt even exist when my elder daughter was dipping a toe in social media.

[Teens say theyre addicted to technology. Heres how parents can help.]

But I am optimistic about what smartphones and social media can do for people. I am thrilled to see kids learning on smartphones, doctors using apps to diagnose diseases and marginalized groups such as gay and lesbian students finding support they never had before through social networks.

Still, as a mother who wants to make sure her children are safe and happy, I worry. And I think back to how I might have done things differently. Parents should decide for themselves what works for their family, but I probably would have waited longer before putting a computer in my childrens pockets. Phones and apps arent good or bad by themselves, but for adolescents who dont yet have the emotional tools to navigate lifes complications and confusions, they can exacerbate the difficulties of growing up: learning how to be kind, coping with feelings of exclusion, taking advantage of freedom while exercising self-control. Its more important than ever to teach empathy from the very beginning, because our kids are going to need it.

For other parents trying to decide how to do their job in a way that feels right despite the bewildering array of changes brought on by smartphones and social media, I want to share some of the resources that have helped me and my friends. Hopefully, these tips can spark conversation and help parents become resources for each other.

A new French labour law gives employees the 'right to switch off' from email, smartphones and other electronic leashes to preserve off-hours and holiday time. (Reuters)

The Internet is a wonderful thing. It gives kids the freedom to move around in a big world, to experiment, to connect with others. As a parent, though, I know that I am responsible for making sure that my kids are ready for all that freedom and that they know how to keep themselves safe. Heres to staying on top of all the changes social media is bringing to our kids lives, so that we can continue to guide and support them in this fast-changing world.

Melinda Gates is a businesswoman and philanthropist. She is co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. You can find her on Facebook @Melinda Gates, Twitter @melindagates and Instagram @melindafrenchgates.

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More reading:

10 ways to foster kindness and empathy in kids

Why you cant teach a 6-year-old to be grateful for a great life

Were the first generation of parents in the age of iEverything

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Melinda Gates: I spent my career in technology. I wasn't prepared for ... - Washington Post