DIGITAL LITERACY EDUCATION AND COUNSELING TO IMPROVE PARENTING IN THE DIGITAL ERA OF KINDERGARTEN AISYIYAH BUSTANUL ATHFAL 12 GRESIK

Abstract

The development of digital technology in the current era has a significant impact on people's lives, including in early childhood parenting patterns. The use of digital devices such as smartphones, tablets, and internet access is getting closer to the family's daily life. This condition requires parents to have good digital literacy skills in order to provide appropriate assistance and prevent negative risks that may arise in children. However, the phenomenon that occurs in the field shows that some parents still have difficulty controlling the use of gadgets, lack understanding of content that is suitable for children, and are not able to use digital technology positively as a means of learning. This community service activity aims to improve the digital literacy of parents of students of Aisyiyah Bustanul Athfal 12 Gresik Kindergarten through education and counseling.

The methods used include interactive lectures, parental control demonstrations, and group discussions (FGD) to assist the use of gadgets. The activity was carried out for one day by involving the parents of students. The results of the activity showed an increase in parents' understanding of the concept of digital literacy, the risks of using devices without assistance, and adaptive and value-based digital parenting strategies. Parents also show practical ability to manage parental control and screen time on their children's devices. This activity is expected to be a model for sustainable digital literacy education programs in PAUD institutions in realizing a safe and conducive digital environment for children's growth and development.