Growing Up in Public: Coming of Age in a Digital World an Invaluable Book for Parents and Educators

Since social media initial introduction to society nearly 20 years ago, it has drastically changed how today’s children are growing up. This generation of kids are watched and monitored more and face more challenges than generations who grew up before the dawn of social media likes, follows, and instant uploads.

Until now, there hasn’t been a resource manual for parents, educators, caregivers, and youth to turn to help them navigate through this confusing, often overwhelming, and continually changing social media web verse.

Devorah Heitner is changing that. Her new book Growing Up in Public: Coming of Age in a Digital World provides in invaluable information about social media and its effects on today’s younger generation. Backed by extensive research and a thorough knowledge of the field, Heitner uses current statistics and real life examples to clearly explain each social media related topic, how it can positively and negatively affect children starting at 11 years of age and up and steps parent and educators can take to help guide and support the youth. Growing Up in Public: Coming of Age in a Digital World discusses issues like classroom apps, sharenting and sharing too much information, sexting, stalking posts, tracking children, and setting boundaries.

The book also has a chapter dedicated to informing parents and educators how to support kids when they go wrong. Heitner provides several useful tips, explanations, and resources to help parents, caregivers, and educators raise children in this digital age so the younger generation has the knowledge, guidance and respect needed to grow into confident and authentic adults.

Growing Up in Public: Coming of Age in a Digital World thoroughly discusses the issues and pressures children face as they navigate through a socially public and digital world of likes, instant notifications, uploads, posts, and texts. Heitner also helps parents, caregivers, and educators, understand their role when posting stuff online and how these posts and shares can have serious short and long term affects on a child’s mental health. She explains the importance of thinking about a child’s rights when considering what she be posted online, the short and long term effects and the importance to ask for permission from the child first before sharing images, news, or other information.

Every child is different and each has their own comfort level when it comes to sharing stuff online. Understanding and respecting these boundaries is crucial to helping children survive and thrive in today’s social media age. The book covers the effects of this online attention and sharing on tweens, teens, and college students. It is designed for parents, caregivers, and educators but has valuable information for teens and college students as well.

Author Devorah Heitner is a media scholar with a Ph.D. in Media/Technology and Society from Northwestern University and an award winning author. She has over 20 years industry experience and has taught at several universities and colleges. Heitner has been guest speaker and many national and international events and has appeared in the Washington Post, CNN Opinion, New York Times, and Wall Street Journal.

Her research and in depth knowledge of social media, digital technology and how it affects youth, parents, and educators is groundbreaking. Heitner wrote this book to answer the ongoing questions and concerns parents voiced as they try to raise their children in this digital world. Growing Up in Public: Coming of Age in a Digital World was launched in September and is currently available in eBook or soft copy form at Indigo and Amazon along with her first book, Screenwise: Helping Kids Thrive (and Survive) in Their Digital World.