Digital New Year's Resolutions

Happy New Year! As we journey into 2025, many of us are setting new goals for the year. My main goal is to learn how to bake, so I can justify putting a KitchenAid Standing Mixer on my wedding registry. So far, I’ve successfully made banana bread and chocolate chip cookies. But New Year’s resolutions don’t need to be culinary. The start of a new year might be the perfect time to make a few digital New Year’s resolutions. That is resolutions or goals that focus on your online life. Here are some suggestions for you and your family: 

1. When you wake up in the morning, don’t check your phone right away. Research shows that looking at your phone as soon as you wake up can cause stress. If you see something negative online as soon as you wake up (and let’s be honest, there are a lot of negative things to see online) you might be on edge for the rest of the day. Make a resolution to stay off your phone until you are out of bed and have done at least one other activity, like eating a full breakfast or taking a nice walk.

2. Try to learn something new online a few times a month, or maybe even a few times a week! FOSI’s research found that parents and teens both self-reported that a top benefit of teens being online is learning new skills. If you agree with this finding, pledge to use some of your time online to teach yourself something new. I use a lot of videos to teach myself makeup tricks. You could also learn a new digital skill, like coding, or watch a documentary explaining a historical event. 

3. Have more conversations with your family about online safety. Parents and caregivers, commit to initiating conversations with your kids about online safety on a schedule that will be fruitful and productive for your family. Pick a time and a place when you know your kids will feel safe and comfortable chatting. For inspiration, check out FOSI’s Family Online Safety Agreements and our 7 Steps to Good Digital Parenting.

4. Learn more about how to avoid frauds and scams, and teach your family too. FOSI’s recent research told us that one of teens’ and parents' top concerns for teens in the online world is the risk of getting scammed or exposure to fraud. To alleviate some of these fears, take a training course focused on how to avoid scams like phishing. There are a lot of courses available online to help people recognize and report scams. Check out the AARP’s Scams and Fraud page to help the older people in your life avoid scams. Chances are, you’ll learn something new as well! 

5. Combine a digital concept with your existing New Year’s resolution. The most common New Year’s Resolution in the US is to save money. If you’re one of the people with this resolution in mind, perhaps using a financial planning app, or listening to podcasts/watching videos on the best ways to save will help you see this one through. Another popular New Year’s Resolution is to exercise more. A device like a smartwatch, or an app that shows you popular gym classes in your area could help you achieve this goal.

These digital New Year’s resolutions can help you and your family live a happier, healthier life online and offline. Make 2025 a banner year when it comes to online safety. Meanwhile, I’ll be mastering the art of focaccia…