In today’s climate, the line between right and wrong seems to be getting thinner and thinner as each day goes by. Kids are growing up with a lot more technology at their disposal, and a plethora of knowledge at their fingertips. But having access to that at such a young age can have it’s own set of problems as well.
The Unknown
With an endless stream of information and videos of people doing all manner of things in this world, a child can get easily overwhelmed with information. Kids can watch hours of Tik Tok videos and all of it could be information that is misleading, or downright wrong. Since most everything online is thought and opinion-based for that one individual, it can become hard for kids to know what is right and wrong. One person will say one thing, and another will completely dispute it with another claim. And both of them could be wrong! But as a young child, they won’t know the difference between opinion and facts. Which is why it’s important to know what your kids are watching, and to ensure they understand these key points.
A Kid’s Brain
A child’s brain is forming well into their teenage years, even into college! And even in their teenage years, kids can be easily gullible and take information they hear as factual. But at an even younger age, such as 5-10 years old, their brain can’t even comprehend a lot of information being seen on social media, let alone also do the work in figuring out whether the information is right or wrong.
Not Just the Words
And explaining what is right and wrong in today’s world is a great first step, but your children are going to need more guidance and understanding as they age and understand the world more on their own. You may teach them that stealing is wrong, and they understand that at it’s core, but when they see their classmates participating in viral schemes of stealing school property for clout and laughter, those lines of Do Not Steal can become blurry.
Having frequent discussions with your kids can help, and will also aid in their sense of morality. Having a rooted sense of morality can help instill their sense of right and wrong within those moral principles, which can help them differentiate between right and wrong, even the finer details. Morality is more about a code of conduct, through decisions and actions rather than just definitions. Helping to build your child’s moral compass at a young age is truly life-changing!
Katie Kyzivat