Many parents are doing their best to guide their kids online, yet feel constant guilt and self-doubt. This article challenges the growing narrative that “big tech” has made parents powerless. It argues that while platform design matters, fear-driven stories can erode parental confidence, distort decision-making, and overlook one of the strongest protective factors kids have: engaged, informed caregivers.

What does ‘6,7’ mean?” That’s the question teachers and parents across the country are asking as Gen Alpha turns a random lyric into a cultural code. It’s slang, identity, and sometimes defiance, all rolled into two numbers. To understand it is to glimpse how music and internet culture shape youth language today

Anxiety in youth isn’t born in a vacuum, it often reflects what they see in us. Kids don’t just listen, they watch how we react, solve problems, and cope. When parents catastrophize or ban technology without explanation, it fuels worry. Calm modeling, open conversations, and digital literacy help shift anxiety from something that controls kids to something they can manage with confidence.