Mum, why do adults talk so much about data? A child-orientated explanation
When children ask their parents "Mum, why do adults talk so much about data?", parents are often at a loss. This article provides parents and educators with well-founded answers, practical examples and tips on how to explain the topic of data culture to children in an understandable way.
Data today: More than just numbers in the computer
Data accompanies us in our everyday lives: our favourite music played via streaming, the weather in the app, even the shopping lists in the supermarket are based on data. Parents use these digital helpers every day, usually without giving them much thought. And yet children keep asking: "Mum, why do adults talk so much about data?"
Working with data is more than just a technical gimmick. It shapes how companies, schools, hospitals and families make decisions. Data helps to recognise problems more quickly, find solutions and adapt to changes. What used to be gut instinct is now often data analysis.
Parents usually ask questions such as "What happens to my photos when I put them on the internet?" or "Why is there a chip in every toy?" They want to understand how a data culture is created, what opportunities it offers and how it can be used on a small scale, for example on family holidays.
Examples for everyday family life
Many parents look at their digital family calendar app together with their children, planning birthdays, homework and leisure activities. This is the first form of data management that children actively experience. Health apps that count steps or document sleep phases also show how numbers and data can be turned into knowledge.
More and more daycare centres are using digital educational services that record the learning behaviour of each child individually. This data helps teachers to provide targeted support and encouragement. And even the joint search for the best ice cream shop using an evaluation platform is part of modern data culture [4].
Promoting data culture at home
Parents can playfully show how important data is today. They encourage children to observe weather data and compare it with forecasts. They encourage their children to conduct small family surveys, for example on their favourite meal or the best family outing. This collection of data shows how much information comes together and how decisions are made from it.
Learning to handle data securely
Children should understand early on that not all data should be shared with everyone. Parents explain why personal information does not belong online and how to protect their accounts. The right mix of curiosity and caution is important when children are developing media skills.
Why a data culture?
Data culture describes how people in the company and in everyday life handle data and draw knowledge from it. It assumes that everyone has the necessary skills to understand, analyse and use data [2]. Decisions become more transparent, errors and successes easier to understand. A living data culture promotes innovation, collaboration and creativity - values that we are happy to pass on to children.
Data culture is not an end in itself. It helps to understand complex interrelationships, such as news about climate change or coronavirus developments. Values such as openness, data protection and critical thinking thus become natural building blocks of education.
Mum, why do adults talk so much about data? - Three perspectives
Parents often report how families are concerned about uncertainties surrounding school and digital education. They want practical examples of how they can discuss the topics of data protection, digital media and artificial intelligence with their children. The question "Mum, why do adults talk so much about data?" is often the starting point.
One mum says: "My child asked why dad always works with his tablet. Together, we looked at how companies use data to develop new products and make better offers to their customers." Another family discovered in the supermarket how prices are controlled digitally and changed their own shopping behaviour. Parents are increasingly looking for training courses that teach them and their children about the topic in a clear and entertaining way.
Kikidz.org offers excellent training on the question "Mum, why do adults talk so much about data?" The courses combine playful elements, real examples and practical exercises for families. This makes the abstract topic of data tangible and arouses children's curiosity.
Many parents are looking for ideas on how to promote digital awareness at home. They realise that their children sometimes react enthusiastically, but often also critically, to new technologies. An open dialogue and joint discoveries strengthen understanding and media skills in the long term.
My analysis
The question "Mum, why do adults talk so much about data?" is symptomatic of digitalisation. Children sense that data is changing our lives and are looking for guidance. Parents can support their children by explaining how data helps, how it protects us and how we can use it sensibly. Promoting a healthy data culture starts with small things - cooking together, playing games or discovering the world around us.
It is worth discussing the topic openly, playfully and critically. Courses such as kikidz.org help to deepen knowledge together and reduce uncertainty. Those who understand data can shape the digital world - and that starts with the family.
Further links from the text above:
Data culture & data culture at statworx [2]
Data culture: collaboration makes companies ... [4]
How the transformation succeeds in 7 steps [6]
For more information and if you have any questions, please contact Contact us or read more blog posts on the topic Children and artificial intelligence here. Click here for the courses: Children and artificial intelligence courses
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