As the mother of three teens, I had the same question. The short answer is to delay: Delay giving your kid any electronic device of their own (tablet, phone, laptop) as long as possible, delay giving them a smartphone (an internet-enabled phone) until they get their driver’s license, and delay social media until age 16. Of course, that’s not always easy, so I detail how, exactly, to do that in 10 Rules for Raising Kids in a High-Tech World . Also important: Give your kids real-world freedom. I share a long list of ideas for how to do this in 10 Rules (it’s Rule 8!)