Growing Up Digital: Helping Your Kids and Teens Navigate Life Online (Susan McLean, A&U)

Growing Up Digital, by Australia’s leading cybersafety expert, Susan McLean, is a grounded and genuinely useful guide for parents navigating life online with their children in an increasingly complex digital world. The book tackles everything from cyberbullying and grooming to sextortion, gaming, pornography and the rise of AI. By blending case studies with step-by-step guidance, McLean (Sexts, Texts & Selfies: How to Keep Your Children Safe in the Digital Space) helps parents have meaningful conversations with their children, rather than lecturing them. Drawing on decades of experience in law enforcement and education, she translates complex online risks into clear, empathetic advice that is firmly rooted in real-world experience. Her tone is calm yet authoritative, offering reassurance even when addressing unsettling topics. What makes Growing Up Digital stand out is how up-to-date it feels. McLean understands how quickly digital culture evolves, and she positions parents as learners rather than out-of-touch outsiders. Appendices featuring family safety agreements and a glossary of internet slang make this a practical resource for modern households. Although some sections revisit earlier points, the book maintains focus and clarity throughout. It’s a must-read for the era of deepfakes, group chats and constant connectivity: a realistic, compassionate companion for parents trying to raise digitally savvy children in a world that never logs off and demands their unending attention.

Books+Publishing reviewer: Ananya Thirumalai is a Sydney-based writer and student of digital cultures and business law. Books+Publishing is Australia’s number-one source of pre-publication book reviews.

Books+Publishing pre-publication reviews are supported by the Copyright Agency Cultural Fund.

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