What should you know if your child is interested in a digital career?
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Today’s kids will never know a world without immersive technology. They’ve been surrounded by it their entire lives. To adults, it may feel like yesterday, but if you have a child younger than 15, they’ve never known a world without an iPhone. If anything, they’ve been thrust into a world surrounded by digital devices and technology since the moment they were born.
So, it only makes sense that many of today’s children are interested in digital careers.
As a parent who has lived in a world before tech took over, you might not readily recognize how the Internet and technology have changed what are considered to be viable career choices. But, there are plenty of options for kids, teens, and young adults to turn to in the digital space – and they can even find a lot of success when it’s done correctly.
If your child is showing interest in a digital career, it’s important to support them. That starts with helping them hone their soft skills and developing the technical literacy they’ll need to succeed in the digital landscape.
Let’s take a closer look at digital career options your child might be interested in – including many that didn’t even exist a few decades ago. Then, we’ll cover how you can support them and help them succeed in their choice.
What are digital careers?
Any job that relies heavily on technology and the digital space could be considered a digital career. However, that goes well beyond just using a computer for daily business practices. Some of the most popular digital career options today include:
- Blogger;
- Data scientist;
- Digital marketer;
- Online consultant;
- Online freelance writer;
- Content creator;
- Influencer.
Moreover, the technology associated with eCommerce has opened the floodgates, allowing essentially anyone to start their own businesses from home. If your child wants to sell a unique product or can create custom items, they can open their own shop online and reach customers globally. Online shopping has seen major growth in recent years, especially throughout and after the COVID-19 pandemic. While there are more than 26 million eCommerce sites online, your child can stand out if they have a product people are really looking for, and know how to market their brand.
Don’t count out higher education
Becoming an influencer or blogger doesn’t necessarily require a college degree. It does require a lot of work and even more luck. But, many digital careers can benefit from receiving a higher education. In recent years, many colleges and universities across the country have created new majors and degrees based on the digital society we’re in.
One of the most notable is esports. Within this profession, many started playing for fun, but it became more of a passion than a hobby. It’s a high-tech career that is very similar to traditional sports in a variety of ways. Your child could end up being an athlete, a trainer, or a coach in the esports community.
Esports is about more than just video games. It’s about taking advantage of the latest technology to connect people across the globe and to communicate and compete the same way players in the NFL or MLB do regularly. For a tech-savvy kid who loves gaming and growing, getting a degree in esports is a fantastic way to do what they love while finding real success. So, you could be helping your child prepare for college by letting them spend a little extra time on their console.
The skills necessary for a successful digital career
If your child has a passion or drive toward a specific digital career, do what you can to foster it by helping them build the necessary skills to succeed. That includes soft skills like:
- Curiosity;
- Communication;
- Problem-solving;
- Adaptability;
- Multitasking.
It’s also important to foster digital literacy. Today’s kids typically have no problem understanding technology since they’re surrounded by it every day. However, they need to be able to research, evaluate, and communicate effectively in a digital environment as well. Things like understanding digital footprints, knowing how to protect themselves online, and being able to handle digital communication are all important aspects of digital literacy that your child might not learn on their own.
Thankfully, you can teach them early on about cybersecurity concepts like protecting their identity, cyberbullying, and phishing scams. You can also sign them up for classes or use tools designed to improve their digital communication efforts and teach them how to research properly online when they face a problem.
Technology is advancing to the point that most people can’t foresee the ramifications of current advancement. That being said, these digital cares are the future. It will be amazing to see how many more are created over the next decade as new tech becomes more accessible. If your child is interested in a digital career, keep these ideas in mind, so you can find out how to support them.