Technology Fuels Cyberbullying and Cheating in Teens
McAfee’s study “The Digital Divide: How the Online Behavior of Teens is Getting Past Parents” shows an alarming 70% of teens have hidden their online behavior from their parents, up from 45% in 2010. And yet half of parents live under the assumption that their teen tells them everything he/she does online. The school ...
5 Fun Ways to Keep Family Connections Strong (and Secure) This Holiday
5 Fun Ways to Keep Family Connections Strong (and Secure) This Holiday The reality is beginning to hit: The holiday season will look and feel different this year. Traditional family gatherings, complete with mile-long dinner tables and flag football games, are now considered COVID “super spreader” events, putting a dent ...
#BeCyberSmart: Equipping Kids to Stay Safe on New Video Apps
These days, spending time with friends face-to-face still isn’t always an option for teens. So, finding a fun, new app can be a little like discovering your own private beach where you can chill out, connect with friends, and be thoroughly entertained. Keeping them safe on that digital beach? That’s where ...
The First Smartphone for Free-Ranging Kids
The First Smartphone for Free-Ranging Kids In an earlier article, we took a look at smartphone alternatives for free-ranging kids. Next up is the follow-on conversation … the time you give them their first, fully functional smartphone—and how to manage having it in your lives. For children, learning to use ...
What Security Means to Families
What Security Means to Families One truth of parenting is this: we do a lot of learning on the job. And that often goes double when it comes to parenting and the internet. That’s understandable. Whereas we can often look to our own families and how we were raised for ...
Messenger Rooms: New Video Chat Option is Fun But Has Risks
One of the many things we’ve learned during this season of being homebound is that video chats with friends can save the day. One of the newest channels for video chatting is Messenger Rooms. While the new Facebook feature isn’t groundbreaking in terms of how it works, it’s the ability ...
Internet Safety Begins with All of Us
Internet Safety Begins with All of Us Now’s the time to pause for a moment and consider just how important the internet is to us. Not just any internet. A safer internet. June marks Internet Safety Month. Why June? The original thought was that the onset of summer sees more ...
Is Your Child Being Cyberbullied? What Parents Need to Know
In this season of social distancing, teens need their friends more than ever. Daily digital connection — through texting, video chat, social networks, and gaming — is critical to keeping friend groups strong. But could increased time online these days lead to an increase in cyberbullying? While there isn’t data ...
What’s the Right Age to Give Your Child a Phone?
“Can I pleeease have my own phone?” The “first phone” is one of the most loaded questions a child can ask and it can start as early as elementary school. And, with kids homebound most of the time, boredom could be fueling that dreaded request even more. That’s because phones ...
Keeping Virtual Play Dates, Hang Outs, and Video Chats Safe for Everyone
Every day we discover (or stumble over) new ways of coping and connecting during this unique chapter in family life. Still, as every age group under your roof finds their favorite virtual play date and hangout apps, parents may need to add a few safety rails to make sure the ...
