LG Uplus launched a digital literacy education program for parents of Alpha Generation children in partnership with the National Information Society Agency and E-mart, addressing growing concerns about how to guide children born into a digital-first world. The initiative, announced Sunday, represents a shift from traditional smartphone addiction counseling toward teaching parents constructive digital parenting methods.
The program targets parents with children aged 4 to elementary school lower grades, running through August at 10 E-mart culture centers across the Seoul metropolitan area. Unlike previous efforts focused on restricting device usage, the curriculum emphasizes healthy digital habits and practical AI applications for family activities.
The three-way consortium divides responsibilities based on institutional expertise12. LG Uplus handles customer needs analysis and overall program operation, while NIA provides professional instruction drawing from its nationwide Digital Learning Center experience13. E-mart contributes accessible venue spaces through its culture centers, targeting parents who already frequent these locations23.
The curriculum consists of two components: theoretical sessions covering Alpha Generation characteristics and AI-powered parenting strategies, followed by hands-on workshops where parents learn to create digital storybooks with their children and navigate appropriate content platforms425.
The program responds to documented parent concerns about digital guidance. According to the Korea Youth Policy Institute, 80.9% of parents believe specialized education is necessary to help children use media appropriately1. However, existing programs have concentrated primarily on addiction counseling rather than constructive digital integration12.
"Children's digital usage cannot be forcibly restricted, so creating healthy usage habits is more important than control," said Choi Moon-sil, head of NIA's Digital Inclusion Division3. The approach reflects UNESCO's definition of digital literacy as the ability to safely find, manage, communicate, and create using digital technologies4.
Park Kyung-joong, LG Uplus's external cooperation executive, described the initiative as reflecting "the will of three organizations that expanding the foundation of digital literacy is necessary in the AI era"12. The program represents the first collaborative output from NIA's Digital ESG Council1.
Early participant feedback suggests demand for the approach. One parent attending the June 12 session in Suwon commented: "I used to just block my child's smartphone use, but now I think I can use smartphones with my child while smiling after learning about good apps and usage methods"3.
"Control is less important than creating healthy usage habits," Choi said, expressing hope the program increases interest in parents' digital guidance capabilities1.
