Online celebs share Smart ways to parent kids in the digital age

While the internet provides kids with access to a wealth of educational materials, creative tools, and opportunities for connection,  parents still need to guide their children to safely navigate the online world.

This is why Smart is strengthening its campaign for responsible digital parenting and child protection. Recently, it gathered parents who are also content creators for a ‘Family Day’ at its flagship store in Mandaluyong City to discuss and share their best practices when it comes to guiding their kids every time they go online.

The event coincided with the launch of the Smart Junior Plan, a first-of-its-kind postpaid plan designed to enable parents and their children to stay connected while providing access to a curated suite of kid-friendly apps and a safer browsing experience with PLDT and Smart’s Child Protection Platform.

Here are some insightful parenting tips mommies and daddies can adopt to keep their children safe in the digital space:

Set limits to screentime and guide them on what sites are safe to visit

Louise Santos(@mommypracticality) has sons aged 8, 14, and 21. While her two boys in high school and college can now discern which sites are safe and not, her youngest son’s use of gadgets is still regulated.

“We really talk about the sites that they can visit or not,” she shares. “That also applies to us because we have to teach by example.”

For her part, preschool teacher Celine Cornejo (@teachercelineph), who has 2 boys and 1 girl aged 2, 10, and 12 restricts her children from using their mobile phones during school nights and only allows them access on a Friday, after school, until the weekend. “Kaya kapag Friday, excited na sila.”

Meanwhile, model-turned-host Kelly Misa-Fernandez (@kellymisa) shares her nine-year-old son has had access to the Internet since he was five but very restricted. “We would always be watching what he would consume online and nowadays since he has school and we want him to focus on school, weekends lang pwede, unless it’s a chill week,” she says.

Tell kids not to talk to strangers online

Celine also taught her children not to share their personal information such as their names, address, contact details, and passwords. On top of this, she told them her boys, who are old enough to use gadgets to “never ever talk to strangers.”

“I always remind my kids that there are people out there, they pretend to be kids, that chat with you, but in reality, they are adults,” Celine shares.

Teach kids that not everything they read online is true

Celine also had a tough discussion with her kids about looking up online for her health condition. “When I was diagnosed with Stage 4 Breast Cancer, my husband and I talked to our kids. We told them that, ‘I know you guys are smart kids, but I know you tend to consult Dr. Google’,” she recalls.

“So, I told them that whatever you read online, it doesn’t mean that it will apply with my condition because each patient is unique. And Dr. Google, of course, is not my doctor. I have the best oncologist that they can talk to or consult with, or if they have any questions, they can ask us, their parents, so for our family, our digital measure also overlaps with our social net and emotional support,” she adds.

Connect before you correct

Louise also underscored the importance of building trust with her children. “We go back to having a very honest, open communication where they see us, as parents, as their safety net. Parang tayo ‘yung safe place nila na they can call us on anything, everything kasi before you correct your children, you should first connect,” she said.

Events host Eri Neeman (@erineeman), who has an eight-year-old son, echoes Louise. “Kasi how can your children come to you kung takot siyang pumunta sa’yo? Like kung may masamang mangyari kasi parati mo siyang pinapagalitan, walang connection, walang relationship, how would I feel confident na pwedeng kausapin si Mommy, si Daddy?” Eri says.

He adds that parents also need to be self-aware and assess the parenting styles they might have inherited from their parents. “How can we heal and nurture this person kung ‘yung inner child natin hindi pa healed? Kasi you can’t pour from an empty cup, ‘di ba?”

Embrace technology and have fun with your kid in the digital world

Robin Cruz, one half of the father-and-son duo of @anythingarticulated on TikTok, says that he uses the digital world to strengthen his bond with his eight-year-old kid, Gabe. “We do unboxing ng mga toys, ‘yun yung bonding namin. Ang rule lang namin, during lunch and dinner, no gadgets are allowed,” he shares.

“Na-su-supervise naman namin ano ‘yung nilalaro niya at pinapanood sa YouTube,” Robin says, who adds that him being an Elementary Education graduate also has prepared him for teaching his child, not only in academics, but also in having discipline for following rules.

Kelly relates to Robin, saying that she also geeks out with her kid. “So, when it comes to the games he plays, he likes Mario Bros. and I grew up with Mario Bros. ‘Buti na lang he likes it, hindi ko talaga pinilit, but he’s like obsessed,” she happily shares.  Kelly also learned that her son is into ’80s music when she checked her Spotify playlist, another shared interest with her kid. “So parang it’s a positive spin for me, I take it in a very positive way, but I am aware na may mga scary things out there.”

Mommy content creator Ulya Nikita (@ulyanikitaa), who is navigating parenting as a young mom using digital tools, loves the idea that her six-year-old son can now chat with her online. “Parang kinikilig ako when I get a notification – what? That’s my baby!”

Ulya admits that she found playing with her son challenging at first. “As an adult, kids’ games can be repetitive, so I always look for different ways to enjoy playtime, like instead of traditional play I like looking for video games we can play together instead.

She also emphasizes having a direct line with your kid can give you peace of mind while recalling the time she could not contact her son’s adult companion. “There was a time I could not contact his companion, and it sent me panicking. So for your small child to be able to have access to a mode of communication to you, the parent, I feel like it is so, so important,” Ulya says.

Sign up for a Junior Plan now

Available as a supplementary line to Smart Postpaid subscribers on Plan 999 and up,  the Junior Plan comes with monthly 10 GB open access data, Unli All-Net Calls and Texts, and unlimited access to the online learning platform Khan Academy, streaming apps YouTube [Kids] and Spotify, messaging apps Messenger [Kids] and Viber, and popular mobile gaming app Mobile Legends – all for only P499 per month.

The Junior Plan is made safer with Smart’s Child Protection Platform, a cybersecurity solution that works 24/7 to block access to illegal sites and links with inappropriate and abusive material, ensuring a more secure online experience for children.

In 2024, the Child Protection Platform blocked 1.6 million malicious sites and 1 million attempts by the users to try to access those sites. Smart has also blocked more than 1 million mobile numbers involved in phishing, SMShing, and Vishing activities.

“Technology is ever-evolving, and we recognize that Internet access comes with both benefits and risks, especially to children as vulnerable end-users.  As a responsible provider of connectivity, we aim to undertake safety-by-design in our products.  With our Smart Junior Plan, our goal is to keep families connected, while continuously promoting child protection and helping parents ensure a safer and better digital experience for their kids.”, said PLDT and Smart chief sustainability officer Melissa Vergel de Dios.

The Junior Plan is backed by Smart’s superior mobile network, which empowers subscribers to upload and download heavy files in seconds, browse the web instantly, stream videos seamlessly, and enjoy lag-free mobile games. Know more about the Junior Plan at www.smart.com.ph/Postpaid. – Rappler.com

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