Growing Up in Public

Coming of Age in a Digital World

By: Devorah Heitner

Narrated by: Devorah Heitner

Length: 8 hrs and 10 mins

Publisher's summary

The definitive book on helping kids navigate growing up in a world where nearly every moment of their lives can be shared and compared

NATIONAL BESTSELLER

With social media and constant connection, the boundaries of privacy are stretched thin. Growing Up in Public shows parents how to help tweens and teens navigate boundaries, identity, privacy, and reputation in their digital world.

We can track our kids’ every move with apps, see their grades within minutes of being posted, and fixate on their digital footprint, anxious that a misstep could cause them to be “canceled” or even jeopardize their admission to college. And all of this adds pressure on kids who are coming of age immersed in social media platforms that emphasize “personal brand,” “likes,” and “gotcha” moments. How can they figure out who they really are with zero privacy and constant judgment? Devorah Heitner shows us that by focusing on character, not the threat of getting caught or exposed, we can support our kids to be authentically themselves.

Drawing on her extensive work with parents and schools as well as hundreds of interviews with kids, parents, educators, clinicians, and scholars, Heitner offers strategies for parenting our kids in an always-connected world. With relatable stories and research-backed advice, Growing Up in Public empowers parents to cut through the overwhelm to connect with their kids, recognize how to support them, and help them figure out who they are when everyone is watching.

©2023 Devorah Heitner (P)2023 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

"Astute advice on how parents can help their children navigate social media and other technology.... The levelheaded guidance is a refreshing antidote to more alarmist takes on the topic." —Publishers Weekly

"Growing Up in Public gives parents a gentle guide on how to keep lines of communication open between them and their child.... This is an important guidebook for all parents as they seek to give their children the skills they need to navigate our brave new world." —BookPage

“A must-read for every parent, Growing Up in Public brilliantly guides us in how to use conversations with our kids about the digital world as opportunities to develop their character and deepen our relationship with them. Emphasizing the importance of our children feeling seen instead of watched, mentored instead of monitored, this book is all at once a roadmap for preventing digital problems, a resource for what to do when things go wrong, and a crash course in how to empower our kids to become responsible, independent, and thoughtful digital citizens." —Tina Payne Bryson, LCSW, PhD, New York Times bestselling coauthor of The Whole-Brain Child

An extremely useful book for parents of all ages!

Even though my kids are grown I still found this book very helpful and I’d recommend this book to any parent/caregiver. The book is filled with thoughtful and practical advice on a range of topics that parents often stress about as well as topics that might not be on someone’s radar yet. It’s a must read book and I’d give it ten stars if I could!

A must listen!

I appreciated the author’s practical approach & advice towards parenting the realities of growing up in public.

Must Read for Every Parent Today

What an invaluable guidebook for myself as a parent and as a parent coach. It's well-structured, and the author's narration adds a personal touch, making it relatable. This book equipped me to handle tough talks with my kids while respecting their privacy. Professionally, especially with older kids, it expanded my strategies to assist clients dealing with their child's online exposure. This audiobook is a must-have, offering practical advice for navigating the complexities of modern parenting in the digital world.