The key to helping youth navigate contemporary digital life isn't more restrictions. It's freedom - plus communication. Famed urban theorist Jane Jacobs used to argue that the safest neighborhoods were those where communities collectively took interest in and paid attention to what happened on the streets. Safety didn't come from security cameras or keeping everyone indoors, but from a collective willingness to watch out for one another and be present as people struggled. The same is true online. Teens need the freedom to wander the digital street, but they also need to know that caring adults are behind them and supporting them wherever they go. The first step is to turn off the tracking software. Then ask you kids what they're doing online - and why it's so important to them.
