Growing Up in Public by Devorah Heitner Summary

Growing Up in Public provides strategies for parents to help tweens/teens navigate digital identity, privacy, and reputation in a hyper-connected world. It emphasizes mentorship over surveillance, addressing social media pressures, "sharenting," and fostering trust. The book blends research with practical advice to help families balance online engagement with healthy boundaries.

Parents, educators, and caregivers of adolescents (ages 8–18) facing digital challenges like social media use, online identity formation, or privacy concerns. It’s also valuable for professionals working with youth seeking research-backed approaches to modern parenting in a tech-saturated culture.

Yes—it offers actionable, empathy-driven strategies validated by experts and real-world case studies. Library Journal’s starred review praises its focus on trust-building over fear-based monitoring. It’s particularly relevant for families navigating apps like TikTok or grappling with screen-time debates.

Heitner argues social media intensifies existing struggles (e.g., self-esteem, anxiety) but isn’t inherently harmful. She advises tracking behavior changes (like withdrawal) rather than invasive monitoring, and fostering open dialogues about online experiences.

Sharenting refers to parents oversharing kids’ lives online. The book urges families to seek children’s consent before posting, clean up past overshares, and model mindful digital footprints to respect kids’ autonomy.

She prioritizes mentoring over restrictive rules, encouraging collaborative boundary-setting. For example, discussing why certain content is shared rather than banning apps outright. This builds critical thinking and self-regulation.

Yes—it addresses unique challenges faced by neurodivergent and queer teens online, such as heightened vulnerability to comparison or identity-based harassment. Heitner advocates tailored support for marginalized groups.

The book critiques grading apps for exacerbating anxiety in neurodiverse students. Recommendations include disabling real-time notifications and advocating for school policies that reduce over-surveillance.

While Screenwise focuses broadly on digital literacy, Growing Up in Public delves deeper into adolescence-specific issues like reputation management and sexual identity in the context of perpetual online visibility.

Some may find its anti-monitoring stance too lenient for high-risk situations. However, Heitner balances this by advising targeted oversight for mental health crises while maintaining overall trust.

Yes—its emphasis on empathy, communication, and identity-building applies beyond screens. For example, discussing oversharing in-person or managing peer comparisons at school events.

She argues privacy is a developmental need for teens. Instead of reading texts, parents should watch for behavioral red flags and collaborate on safety plans (e.g., reporting harassment).