7 Tips to Make Sure Smartphone Use Doesn’t Ruin Holiday Gatherings
The gravy wasn’t the only thing steaming at the Thanksgiving table this year. Grandma wasn’t happy. It turns out that those shapes that looked like socks draped over the living room furniture were actually teenagers glued to their smartphones — teenagers Grandma had repeatedly asked to set the table. And ...
Could Your Child be Sexting? Signs to Look for and Ways to Respond
Oh, what we wouldn’t do to travel back in time to the days before smartphones kid-jacked our families, right? But here we are. Our kids are forever connected. And, it’s up to parents to help them navigate the risks — one of which is sexting. Ouch. Even reading the word ...
5 Digitally-Rich Terms to Define, Discuss with Your Kids
Over the years, I’ve been the star of a number of sub-stellar parenting moments. More than once, I found myself reprimanding my kids for doing things that kids do — things I never stopped to teach them otherwise. Like the time I reprimanded my son for not thanking his friend’s ...
5 Hidden Hashtag Risks Every Parent Needs Know
Adding hashtags to a social post has become second nature. In fact, it’s so common, few of us stop to consider that as fun and useful as hashtags can be, they can also have consequences if we misuse them. But hashtags are more than add-ons to a post, they are ...
Are Cash Transfer Apps Safe to Use? Here’s What Your Family Needs to Know
I can’t recall the last time I gave my teenage daughter cash for anything. If she needs money for gas, I Venmo it. A Taco Bell study break with the roommates? No problem. With one click, I transfer money from my Venmo account to hers. She uses a Venmo credit ...
Attention Facebook Users: Here’s What You Need to Know About the Recent Breach
With over 2.4 billion monthly active users, Facebook is the biggest social network worldwide. And with so many users come tons of data, including some personal information that may now potentially be exposed. According to TechCrunch, a security researcher found an online database exposing 419 million user phone numbers linked ...
How to Spring Clean Your Digital Life
With winter almost gone, now is the perfect time to start planning your annual spring clean. When we think about our yearly sort out, most of us think about decluttering our chaotic linen cupboards or the wardrobes that we can’t close. But if you want to minimise the opportunities for ...
Clicks & Cliques: How to Help Your Daughter Deal with Mean Girls Online
According to a new report released by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), mean girls are out in force online. Data shows that girls report three times as much harassment online (21%) as boys (less than 7%). While the new data does not specify the gender of the aggressors, experts ...
Digital Parenting: How to Keep the Peace with Your Kids Online
Simply by downloading the right combination of apps, parents can now track their child’s location 24/7, monitor their same social conversations, and inject their thoughts into their lives in a split second. To a parent, that’s called safety. To kids, it’s considered maddening. Kids are making it clear that parents ...
How To Help Your Kids Manage Our ‘Culture of Likes’
As a mum of 4 sons, my biggest concerns about the era of social media is the impact of the ‘like culture’ on our children’s mental health. The need to generate likes online has become a biological compulsion for many teens and let’s be honest – adults too! The rush ...
