One of the most dangerous aspects of social media is that children can easily fall into the trap of comparison and competition. With platforms such as Instagram, which focus on appearance, children can be exposed to unrealistic societal standards of beauty and success. This can lead to feelings of inadequacy and insecurity if they feel like they don’t measure up.

Is it me or does it seem like our parents had it easier than us?

According to the latest Pew Study on parenting, it appears that in fact, I’m not imagining it.

Parenting today is harder.

Why?

While the list is extensive, here are 4 reasons being a parent today is harder than it was when we grew up:

We are overwhelmed with information and advice

We have the world, literally in the palm of our hands at all times and can get answers to any question by literally just asking the device in our hands (or the one sitting on our kitchen counter).

If you're like most parents, you're probably monitoring your child's social media usage to some extent. But did you know that your child's usernames (and account bios) may be putting them at risk? Here are 4 ways that your child's social media usernames and account bios may be putting them at risk

If you’re the parent of digital kids, you’ve probably had your share of “discussions” about their use of technology.

Most of the time it happens when you’re at your wits-end, as opposed to a time when you’re not pulling your hair out about something your kid did online.

The solution? Make sure you have a realistic Family Technology Plan.

Most of us communicate online daily, so it’s no surprise that our kids want to be a part of the digital world too.

One of the most frequently asked questions I hear from parents is: what’s the right age for my kid to start using technology and interact with others online?

There are few things children can do without their parents being worried about them. We are parents after all and worrying is in our DNA! As parents, you want to give your children the freedom to try new things, to find out who they are and what they like and dislike, but that also comes with some tumbles and falls along the way. While we can’t protect our children from every bump, bruise and bully, we can educate ourselves

Cyberbullying is bullying (seeking to harm, intimidate, or coerce someone) digitally. It takes place on digital devices (computers, tablets, phones) through texts, emails, apps, social media, forums, or games. Kids who are being cyberbullied are often bullied in person as well. Additionally, kids who are cyberbullied have a harder time getting away from the behavior.

Your kids have figured out an ingenious work-around both to circumvent the issue with the note not getting to the right person, as well as the issue of not getting caught passing notes.

Your digital persona matters when it comes to college admissions. If you're not already involved in the process, you ought to know that it's become sort of a competitive sport in it's own right. Parents and teens are doing everything they can to make sure that their application will stand out. In fact, the latest Kaplan survey of college admissions officers found that 66% said that an applicant's social media is FAIR GAME during the admissions process. What does that mean in practical terms for you/your teen? It means that you can no longer ignore the impact your teen's digital communication can have on their future.

When I discovered that what Snapchat actually created isn’t a parental control or monitoring tool but really fluff, rather than substantive change in terms of helping parents keep their kids safe online, it irked me.

The only thing this “family center” allows parents to do is see who their kid is friends with on the app and a list of who they’ve messaged in the last 7 days. In addition, the child has to voluntarily opt-in for parents to use the tool. Snapchat says they’ve designed it this way to encourage conversations between parents and kids about social media and using the app.

A graphic representation describing how kids use different social media platforms.

When our kids first enter elementary school, we start to worry a bit less about them hurting themselves every moment and more about others hurting them – whether it’s stranger danger or peer issues. We worry that they have friends that invite them to play, that they have people to sit with at lunch, that no one is bullying them, that they don’t talk to or go with a stranger that might approach them at the park.

In the past few years, those fears have extended beyond just their physical world into the online world as well. The internet has become part of most every child’s life and it’s the rare child that has no experience with it by the time they are 8 years old.

While raising children is the most important job a parent will ever have, your child's school grades are NOT a reflection of you as a parent, they are a reflection of your child.