What are the most important tech literacy skills children should learn before owning their own device? 

Parenting Perspective 

Before handing over a new device, it is vital to equip a child with the foundational skills needed to navigate the online world safely and responsibly. 

Foundational Online Safety 

A child must understand how to protect their personal information. This includes creating strong, private passwords and knowing never to share details like their full name, address, or school with strangers online, regardless of how friendly someone may seem. They should also be taught to recognise and avoid suspicious links or downloads. 

Content-Discernment Skills 

Children need the ability to distinguish between what is safe and what is harmful. Have practical conversations about what to do if they encounter inappropriate or upsetting content, ensuring they know how to immediately exit the page, close the app, and inform a trusted adult. 

Practising Digital Citizenship 

Introduce the concept that online interactions have real-world consequences. This includes the importance of respectful communication, avoiding hurtful comments, steering clear of gossip, and understanding that their words online carry the same weight as words spoken face-to-face. 

Developing Healthy Screen Habits 

From the very beginning, teach the importance of balance. Help your child learn to manage their own screen time, take regular breaks, and prioritise offline activities like homework, family time, and play. This helps them build a healthy relationship with technology rather than a dependent one. 

Learning to Think Critically Online 

Guide your child to become a discerning consumer of information. Teach them to question what they see and to not automatically believe everything they read or watch. Introducing them to simple fact-checking methods and helping them recognise clickbait or fake news is a crucial skill for the modern world. 

By establishing these skills first, you empower your child with the confidence and wisdom to use technology responsibly, greatly reducing the risk of them developing unsafe or unhealthy habits. 

Spiritual Insight 

Islam places a strong emphasis on truthfulness, verification, and responsibility, which are core principles of good digital literacy. 

Allah Almighty states in the noble Quran at Surah Al Hujurat (49), Verse 6: 

‘O you who have believed, if there comes to you a disobedient one with information, verify it, lest you harm a people out of ignorance and become regretful over what you have done…‘ 

This verse establishes a divine command for due diligence. In an age of rampant misinformation, this teaches children a core Islamic duty to verify information before accepting or sharing it. It is a direct call to combat the spread of falsehoods online. 

The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ warned against the careless sharing of information. 

It is recorded in Sahih Muslim, 11, that the holy Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said: 

‘It is enough of a lie for a man to relate everything he hears.‘ 

This profound hadith is incredibly relevant to social media culture. It teaches children that the act of simply ‘sharing’ or ‘retweeting’ unverified information makes one accountable for its contents. It instils a sense of caution and responsibility, reminding them to uphold truthfulness in all their digital interactions.