Dear Mom and Dad: You’re not alone.

Most parents raising kids today are questioning what age is appropriate for their child to have a phone. Unfortunately, the answer isn’t simple.

Parenting in the social media era can be daunting.

Make sure your kids understand that having a connected device comes with responsibilities. Set the ground rules with the C Spire Family Online Safety Pledge, which provides guidelines to help your kids and teens use their devices and the internet safely.

Sharing stories from the front lines of parenthood with fellow soldiers is a pastime honored through the generations. In the age of social media and the wide-open internet, though, the stakes for parents and kids are higher than ever.

Your home is your sanctuary. And for kids and teens, it’s especially important to have a safe haven where they can feel comfortable, away from the pressures they can encounter at school and social gatherings.

Just when your kids are beginning to formulate their own opinions and live the values learned from parents and peers, the internet is waiting to challenge them.

Study after study has linked social media use to the prevalence of mental health issues such as anxiety and depression in teenagers. That should come as no surprise to parents who have entered parenthood in the social media age. Social platforms like Instagram, Discord and Facebook can be like a school playground on steroids, where bullying, envy, peer pressure and other pitfalls can fester.