Snowline Joint Unified School District social workers Ingrid Peralta and Diego Ramírez led a parent workshop on digital parenting that reviewed studies about children’s access to devices, outlined safety steps from the Family Online Safety Institute and described the district’s approach to phones in schools.

The presentation matters because parents and the district face rising device access among children and teenagers, presenters said, and the session offered concrete guidance — from when children may legally create social accounts to family rules and privacy settings — to reduce online risks.

Peralta opened the session, saying, “Buenos días a todos, gracias por estar aquí,” and framed the meeting as an opportunity to share tools families can use. Ramírez said the presentation would center on “Cómo ser un buen padre digital” and noted the district’s emphasis on training and family conversations.

Presenters cited multiple statistics during the talk: they said about 90% of children ages 2–17 have access to a tablet (for example, an iPad), roughly 75% have access to video-game systems and about 65% have access to a smartphone. For teens ages 13–17, presenters cited figures they attributed to recent studies: 93% use YouTube, 65% use Instagram, about 60% use Snapchat, 33% use Facebook and approximately 63% use TikTok; presenters added that 95% of teens reported using at least one social app and 35% said they used social apps frequently.

The session explained three categories of concern — content, contact and conduct — and gave parents examples: content that may be age-inappropriate; contact with unknown adults or extortion scams; and online conduct that can affect a child’s future reputation or safety. One presenter described a reported scam in which a young adult was asked for bank information, later received threatening messages and feared for her safety.

As a response, presenters walked parents through seven recommended steps from the Family Online Safety Institute: talk early and often with children; educate yourself about apps and platforms; use parental controls to limit time and content; set and enforce clear family rules; follow and engage with your child’s social accounts; explore and share your child’s digital world; and model responsible technology use. Presenters suggested practical measures such as making parent accounts, checking privacy settings, agreeing on passwords or account-sharing rules and creating a family technology agreement.

Presenters also addressed legal and platform thresholds mentioned during the workshop: they noted that most social platforms set a minimum account age of 13 and contrasted that with other milestones (for example, driving-related licensing discussions at 16) to explain how parents can stage conversations as children age. Presenters said Snowline Joint Unified currently does not allow students to use phones during the school day, and they cited research suggesting reduced in-school phone use can support learning and limit immediate social conflicts.

The workshop included audience Q&A and local context: presenters said that individual schools and grade levels vary in how frequently teachers address digital-safety topics (for example, some high schools have a weekly WIN period where these topics are discussed). Presenters announced a follow-up session set for Feb. 27 focused on adolescents’ interpersonal relationships.

Presenters emphasized the balance of benefits and risks: they noted parents’ concerns about content and time spent on screens, while also listing benefits such as educational resources, communication and skill development. The session closed with presenters offering resources and encouraging families to continue conversations after the meeting. Diego Ramírez ended the session saying the team appreciated attendees’ time and participation.