Guide, not guard, children in the digital era, say mental health experts at Manotsava in Bengaluru | Bengaluru News

Bengaluru: In a world where teenagers live as much online as offline, experts at a panel on ‘Resilient parenting in the digital age’ on Sunday said it is time parents stopped policing and started participating in their children’s digital lives. The discussion, part of Manotsava, brought together child psychologists, neuroscientists, and educators who agreed that curiosity, empathy, and shared experiences — not control or fear — are the real tools of modern parenting.Author and resilience coach Sujata Kelkar Shetty said parents must move from being “digital police” to “compassionate coaches”. “The goal isn’t to build a fortress around our children but to fortify them from within. When they make mistakes, ask what they learned instead of ‘what were you thinking?’ BecauseM our children don’t want our lectures — they want our listening ears,” she said.Shetty explained for today’s teens, the online world is central to their identity. “The phone isn’t just a gadget, it’s their Times Square,” she said, suggesting “digital sunsets,” where families switch off devices together.Prof Deepti Navaratna from the National Institute of Advanced Studies said constant digital stimulation rewires young brains. “Children today are running a marathon at a sprinter’s pace. Their brains are high on dopamine, always in fight-or-flight mode,” she said, recommending music, art, and movement to restore balance.Angad Singh Malik, impact strategist at Eight Goals One Foundation, urged parents to join in their children’s gaming experiences. “When you stop assuming the worst and start engaging, gaming becomes a shared space of trust,” he said.