Teens Bring Parents into the Digital Age

Teens with parents who have below a college education are helping their parents bridge a digital divide at home more than educators believed possible.

That's the finding of a study by EduGuide, a nonprofit organization focused on getting families more involved with their children's education so that the kids can succeed in school.

In all, 72 percent of adults use the Internet, but the number rises if that adult is a parent. Nearly all (98 percent) of parents with a college degree use the Internet, while 80 percent of parents who do not have a college degree do, too. The main reason? Their kids.

As broadband services have become more affordable and accessible, parents surveyed said their teens urged them to get an Internet connection at home because they need it for school and to connect with friends. Parents said they wanted to be able to use the Internet to monitor what their kids were doing online and to access school information, assignments, and grades. They also wanted to be able to use the web to get health information and to search for shopping deals online.

While educators underestimated how connected their students' parents were, an unsettling finding was that 65 percent of "college access professionals" felt unsure of their abilities to use digital technologies in their work. ("College access professionals" are defined as counselors, program coordinators, admissions and financial aid officers in schools, colleges, and nonprofit organizations.)

For more info, you can get a copy of the free report here. It's good to see that an organization devoted to helping parents support their children's education has found that can be a two-way street: Kids are helping their parents learn in this changing, digital age.

LINK: EduGuide.org