This situation reveals the best and the worst in humanity. Example of the worst: Florida news media outlets are reporting that a hacker hacked into kids' school zoom meeting and exposed himself. In past times, we could sometimes identify them from a distance. They were the guy wearing the trench-coat, no pants, high dark socks, and dress shoes, in the middle of summer at the park. Today they only leave untraceable metadata.
When I was a kid, we played out in the street until the street lights came on and that was our signal to come home but those days are long gone. Today, kids are handed a tablet, a smart phone, and a computer and they are kept at home presumably "for their safety". This makes parents feel that they are safe at home because those who would want to harm children would have less access to them. However, these monsters have adapted to the times and time-after-time have proven they can still reach our kids despite our best efforts to protect them.
I am no psychologist or anyone with any sort of mental health-related credentials. I am just a parent trying to do the best for my kids. I think the best we can do for our kids is to demonstrate reasonableness. Navigate a balance of letting them roam while being vigilant. Let them be kids but don't become too complacent. Some schools have asked parents to leave kids alone during their zoom meetings so they can concentrate on their lessons. That is probably good advice but keep an ear and an eye on them anyway from a distance.
