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Right Click: Parenting Your Teenager In A Digital Media World [Sticky Faith]
Right Click helps you think and talk differently about digital media, as you learn from inspiring and creative parents like you who navigate these ever-changing waters day after day. Drawing from the best research on media and youth, as well as our own conversations with parents and teenagers, Right Click offers new breakthroughs for your most pressing tech-related dilemmas.
156 pages, Paperback
Published December 1, 2015
2 people are currently reading
265 people want to read
About the author
Kara Powell
57 books44 followersDr. Kara Powell is the Executive Director of the Fuller Youth Institute (FYI), a faculty member at Fuller Theological Seminary, and Fuller's Chief of Leadership Formation. Named by Christianity Today as one of “50 Women You Should Know,” Kara serves as a Youth and Family Strategist for Orange, and also speaks regularly at parenting and leadership conferences. Kara is the author or coauthor of a number of books, including 3 Big Questions That Change Every Teenager, Growing Young, Growing With, The Sticky Faith Guide for Your Family, Sticky Faith Curriculum, Can I Ask That?, Deep Justice Journeys, Deep Justice in a Broken World, Deep Ministry in a Shallow World, and the Good Sex Youth Ministry Curriculum. Kara lives with her husband Dave and their three teenage and young adult children, Nathan, Krista, and Jessica, in Southern California.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
December 11, 2015
It’s hot off the press: Right Click, a book on parenting teens in a digital age, brought to you by the authors of the well-known book Sticky Faith. Now, I’m no digital novice and my son is only in elementary school, but this new resource offered valuable key insights.
First off all, I so appreciate a book on this topic that is not downright negative and judging about the digital age our kids grow up in. I’m so tired of well-meaning people lamenting the good old days—they’re not coming back and besides, in many ways the new technologies have brought improvements I truly appreciate.
What’s also refreshing is that the advice doesn’t focus on rules, but on principles and conversations. I quote: “A host of resources […] tell parents what to do about the latest digital media fad, rather than how to think about digital media more comprehensively.”
That.
As (grand)parents, youth leaders, teachers, etc. we are from a different generation. We know deep down that we approach media differently than teens, but we don’t always take the time to understand how differently. This book makes clear what social media mean to teens for instance, what their goals are and the incentives (‘perceived needs’) for using them.
The focus in Right Click is purely on strengthening the relationship with your kids, by continuous conversations about digital media. The authors give multiple examples of how technology can actually bring you closer together as a family, instead of making each family member an island unto him/herself.
One key insight for me, was how much adults model the wrong behavior. We don’t want our kids to use phones in the car, but we do it all the time. We want kids to behave well online, yet adults constantly show their ugly sides by leaving nasty comments, using foul language, or trolling. It’s adults who ‘teach’ kids bad online behavior, for instance by inappropriate behavior.
The book offers suggestions for media covenants you can set up as a family, shows how you can mentor your kids in becoming responsible digital citizens, and much more. It’s practical, warm, and above all realistic.
I loved the quotes and stories from other parents, which communicated what was said early on in the book: this kind of parenting is new and we are making it up as we go along. So there’s bound to be fails and mistakes…and that’s okay. This book may help you prevent a few though.
[Disclaimer: I received an advanced reading copy of this book in return for an honest review]
First off all, I so appreciate a book on this topic that is not downright negative and judging about the digital age our kids grow up in. I’m so tired of well-meaning people lamenting the good old days—they’re not coming back and besides, in many ways the new technologies have brought improvements I truly appreciate.
What’s also refreshing is that the advice doesn’t focus on rules, but on principles and conversations. I quote: “A host of resources […] tell parents what to do about the latest digital media fad, rather than how to think about digital media more comprehensively.”
That.
As (grand)parents, youth leaders, teachers, etc. we are from a different generation. We know deep down that we approach media differently than teens, but we don’t always take the time to understand how differently. This book makes clear what social media mean to teens for instance, what their goals are and the incentives (‘perceived needs’) for using them.
The focus in Right Click is purely on strengthening the relationship with your kids, by continuous conversations about digital media. The authors give multiple examples of how technology can actually bring you closer together as a family, instead of making each family member an island unto him/herself.
One key insight for me, was how much adults model the wrong behavior. We don’t want our kids to use phones in the car, but we do it all the time. We want kids to behave well online, yet adults constantly show their ugly sides by leaving nasty comments, using foul language, or trolling. It’s adults who ‘teach’ kids bad online behavior, for instance by inappropriate behavior.
The book offers suggestions for media covenants you can set up as a family, shows how you can mentor your kids in becoming responsible digital citizens, and much more. It’s practical, warm, and above all realistic.
I loved the quotes and stories from other parents, which communicated what was said early on in the book: this kind of parenting is new and we are making it up as we go along. So there’s bound to be fails and mistakes…and that’s okay. This book may help you prevent a few though.
[Disclaimer: I received an advanced reading copy of this book in return for an honest review]
March 3, 2022
It had some good information, but it left me without enough specifics to really feel like I knew how to proceed. So much was left with “just talk to your kids.” It also didn’t talk about the dangers of tech that I’d read about in Glow Kids, and it barely touched on pornography. I think they just expect your kids to screw up. I was hoping for a lot more guidance. They don’t recommend using filters, but then how do you keep the junk off of their devices? It’s everywhere.
One section they even said: We won’t recommend filters because they change all the time, so talk to another parent. Well, that’s not helpful. I read this book because as parents, we are at a loss.
I gave it three stars because there were three pages that seemed like they’d be good discussion starters with my teens.
If you know ZERO about technology, this might be a good book to start with because they take a lot of time to describe basics.
One section they even said: We won’t recommend filters because they change all the time, so talk to another parent. Well, that’s not helpful. I read this book because as parents, we are at a loss.
I gave it three stars because there were three pages that seemed like they’d be good discussion starters with my teens.
If you know ZERO about technology, this might be a good book to start with because they take a lot of time to describe basics.
July 17, 2017
This is an excellent guide for parents of children. Kara talks about children being natives in the digital world, but parents are foreigners trying to assimilate! How do we teach children to be their authentic selves, vs. an avatar, or "incognito." How do we help our children to know right from wrong in this digital world. It helps answer the question, is it ok to use the digital world to hide or be a different person than we are in reality! There are so many parenting issues addressed in this small book! It is very worth the read, even if you don't have children, but work with them!
January 31, 2023
Pretty good to get a base on the new attitudes gen z and gen alpha have regarding social media and digital technology. I’m a millennial and I really do agree that I’m just a digital immigrant, these kids are natives. This world is all they know and nothing else. So we have to meet them here and work earnestly to bridge the gap between generations. Overall would definitely recommend reading!
May 9, 2017
Helpful book.
September 3, 2020
"We adults use social media to tell the whole world that our families are successful. We use it to brag and show off, and I think the kids imitate that in their own ways."
- Carrie, mom of three
- Carrie, mom of three
June 24, 2016
I will be sharing this great resource with parents in our church! A helpful guide for families to navigate technology use rather than rejecting it altogether.
November 7, 2016
Solid read
Great read. Is it the be all end all? No. But it is still a very solid read with strong insight.
Great read. Is it the be all end all? No. But it is still a very solid read with strong insight.
April 5, 2017
An excellent resource for parents learning to navigate the digital world with their children. The authors lead a conversation helping parents understand why children do what they do online and how to have conversations with them.
Highly recommended for all parents.
Highly recommended for all parents.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews