Digital parenting is becoming less about keeping children away from technology and more about preparing them to use it with judgment, balance and confidence.
That was one of my strongest takeaways from TikTok’s #ThinkTwice Troop Townhall, held in celebration of International Youth Day, where TikTok officially launched its #ThinkTwice Family Guide in the Philippines.
Created with Child Rights Coalition-Asia, Child Rights Network and Plan International Pilipinas, the guide aims to help Filipino families begin open conversations, build trust, and develop healthier and safer digital habits together. It contains conversation starters, reflection activities, digital safety tips, and information about TikTok’s tools and safety features. Families can find it by searching ‘Think Twice’ on TikTok, which leads to the #ThinkTwice Digital Check-In Hub.
Yves Gonzalez, TikTok public policy head for the Philippines, put the campaign’s premise clearly: ‘For many families today, digital life is no longer separate from everyday life-where young people learn, socialize, create, and discover who they are.’
He added, ‘That’s why building healthier digital habits requires more than rules alone. It requires open conversations, mutual understanding, and practical tools that families can explore together.’
For parents of younger children, I believe this conversation should begin even before our children become teens. We can build the habits that will later shape how they respond to screens, emotions and boundaries. This is where the practical pointers of developmental and behavioral pediatrician Dr. Francis Dimalanta stood out for me.
Dimalanta’s reminders put the Teens first: Establish daily routines; support Emotional regulation; be ‘Now,’ or be present in the moment; and Spark conversation (TEENS). On routines, he reminded parents that ‘adolescent sleep architecture is already vulnerable.’ For younger children, the larger lesson is useful: predictable family routines can create structure before devices become a source of negotiation.
His point on emotional regulation is just as important: ‘When they are crying, you don’t tell them to stop crying.’ Children need help feeling and regulating emotions rather than simply being told to switch them off. When home is a safe place for feelings while our children are small, we build the possibility that they will come to us with harder experiences later.
Being ‘Now’ means dealing with the child and their concern in front of us rather than bringing back every past mistake. And to spark conversation, parents need to move beyond questions that can be answered with one word. We can share something from our own day, ask what made them laugh or what made them curious. Conversation is a habit too.
The #ThinkTwice initiative supports this family approach with concrete safeguards. According to TikTok, teen accounts have more than 50 preset safety and privacy features and settings, including private accounts, content restrictions and daily screen-time limits set to 60 minutes.
The Family Digital Check-In Guide complements TikTok’s Safety Center resources, including its Guardian’s Guide and Teen Safety Center, as well as Family Pairing tools.
Sheila Estabillo of Plan International Pilipinas said: ‘For parents, our goal is not to become the technology police. We don’t need to know every app or every trend. What matters more is becoming a trusted digital guide-someone your teen can turn to when something uncomfortable or confusing happens online.’
Amihan Abueva of Child Rights Coalition Asia brought the discussion back to something that begins long before a first social-media account: relationship. ‘Building the link between the parent and the teen is something even before the digital conversation comes in. So, if you have developed a good relationship with your teen, where they feel comfortable, hopefully that extends when they enter the digital world.’
For me this is especially valuable for parents of younger children. Digital safety does not suddenly begin when a child becomes a teenager. We prepare for it in the ordinary years before that-in routines, play, conversations, boundaries and trust. In my interview with undersecretary Angelo Tapales of the Council for the Welfare of Children, he also emphasized that children have a right to play, including leisure and open spaces where they can play. A healthy childhood must include a world beyond the screen.
I believe simplifying parenting means focusing our energy on what matters most. We may never master every new platform our children will encounter, but we can know our children. We can listen, stay present, create routines, protect time for play and keep conversation open. If #ThinkTwice begins with one simple family habit, perhaps it is this: Before we ask our children to think twice online, let us build the kind of relationship that makes them want to talk to us first.
Next week, I will share in more detail thoughts from panelists Sheila Estabillo, program manager, Plan International Pilipinas; Amihan Abueva, regional executive director, Child Rights Coalition Asia; Dr. Francis Dimalanta, developmental and behavioral pediatrician; and Kuya Kim Atienza, veteran television host, educator and parent creator.