{"id":32467,"date":"2014-01-14T05:00:45","date_gmt":"2014-01-14T13:00:45","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.mcafee.com\/?p=32467"},"modified":"2025-08-27T22:39:06","modified_gmt":"2025-08-28T05:39:06","slug":"could-your-kids-be-doing-things-that-make-them-bully-bait","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/family-safety\/could-your-kids-be-doing-things-that-make-them-bully-bait\/","title":{"rendered":"Could Your Kids Be Doing Things That Make Them Bully Bait?"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u201cSeriously, sometimes I think some kids are trying <\/em>to get bullied,\u201d she opined with a frustrated sigh.<\/p>\n

I stopped what I was doing and looked up. \u201cWhat do you mean?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThey just do the dumbest things online,\u201d my 13 year-old said without looking up and perusing her Instagram feed with the familiar one-thumb scroll. \u201cLike who puts an Ask.fm link in their profile? And who asks everyone to rank their body \u00a0or new song on a scale of 1-10? I can\u2019t make this stuff up mom.\u201d<\/p>\n

I asked her to show me an example. She just turned her screen around and said with a straight face, \u201cWhere would you like me to start?\u201d<\/p>\n

She was right. Within minutes I read several posts that, no doubt, positioned the user as bully bait. And, it was no surprise, to see that several of the comments attached to the posts anything but kind.<\/p>\n

According to a recent study released by ChildLine<\/a>,\u00a0a teen hotline in the United Kingdom, the number of children suffering from cyberbullying is increasing. A recent Guardian article<\/a> stated that the charity saw an 87% rise in contacts (calls) about online bullying, a 41% increase in contacts about self-harm and a 33% increase in young people feeling suicidal. According to ChildLine, self-harm was a major concern, with a 41% year-on-year increase. The number of 12-year-olds mentioning self-harm also increased by 50%.<\/span><\/p>\n

There\u2019s absolutely no excuse for cyber bullying and victims are certainly not asking to be bullied. There are, however, some online behaviors that may put kids more at risk to be bullied\u2014whether they realize it or not<\/i>. And it is up to parents to help them see the forest through the trees of the cyber world.<\/p>\n

Here are just a few behaviors that could open up a child to cyberbullying:<\/strong><\/h2>\n

\u2022 Using dangerous apps.<\/strong> Apps like Ask.fm<\/a> that allow outsiders to ask a user any question anonymously should be off limits to kids. Kik Messenger<\/a> is also a bad idea. Users have a degree of anonymity with these kinds of apps because they have usernames instead of real names and they can easily connect with profiles that could be (and often are) fake. Both apps have been connected to multiple cyberbullying and suicide cases.
\n\u2022 Oversharing creative works.<\/strong> Your kids may be sharing personal things online\u2014such as songs, poetry, or artwork\u2014that make them more vulnerable to criticism or bullying. Talk with your kids about sharing anything that is especially important to them. While many kids naturally want to share their talents with peers, if the artistic material gets berated online, your child\u2019s self-esteem could take a serious, even irreparable, hit. Coach them on how to be discerning.
\n\u2022 Asking peers for a \u201crank\u201d or a \u201clike.\u201d<\/strong> Believe it or not, the online culture for teens is such that often kids will be straightforward in asking people to “like” or “rank” a photo of them and attach the hashtag #TBH (to be honest) in hopes of getting an affirmation fix. Talk to your kids about the risk in doing this and the negative comments that may follow. Affirm them and remind them often of how much they mean to you and the people who truly know them and love them.
\n\u2022 Making profiles and photos public.<\/strong> By refusing to use privacy settings (and some kids do refuse), a child\u2019s profile is open to anyone and everyone, which increases the chances of being bullied or personal photos being downloaded and manipulated. We often recommend on this blog that parents require kids under 18 to make all social profiles private\u2014without exception. This limits online circles to known friends and reduces the possibility of cyberbullying, scammers, and online predators.
\n\u2022 Befriending strangers. <\/strong>In an attempt to venture outside their known circles, kids will connect with strangers online. As mature as this feels, it is never<\/strong> a good idea. That 16 year-old who is also having problem with his parents, may actually be 36 years old. The digital landscape is also peppered with trolls and flamers (people who blast others online for sport). Encourage kids to stick to the friends they know and trust to avoid danger zones.
\n\u2022 Keeping quiet.<\/strong> Far too often a child will keep quiet when being bullied which often leads to more bullying and communicates to others that she is fair game for bullying. Encourage your child to come to you at the first sign of bullying or conflict online. Monitor her online circles and assess the tone of her online conversations. She will not be able to discern some sarcasm and cruelty the way you will. Being the object of a cyberbully creates fear, humiliation, and often leads to isolation so your child will rarely be the first to speak up about it. Until they have the skills, parents need to monitor and coach kids online. Start early and be consistent and they will gain their communication chops sooner than later.<\/p>\n

Parents, we encourage you to keep communication flowing <\/em>(not just open). Talk to your child about sensible, balanced sharing online and how every choice they make can either protect them or open them up to harm.<\/p>\n

Toni Birdsong<\/em> is a Family Safety Evangelist<\/a> to McAfee<\/a>. You can find her on Twitter @SafeEyes<\/a>.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u201cSeriously, sometimes I think some kids are trying to get bullied,\u201d she opined with a frustrated sigh. I stopped what…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":642,"featured_media":38467,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[12],"tags":[75,100,2205,321],"coauthors":[3359],"class_list":["post-32467","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-family-safety","tag-cyberbullying","tag-facebook","tag-protecting-kids-online","tag-social-networking"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nCould Your Kids Be Doing Things That Make Them Bully Bait? | McAfee Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"\u201cSeriously, sometimes I think some kids are trying to get bullied,\u201d she opined with a frustrated sigh. I stopped what I was doing and looked up. \u201cWhat do\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Could Your Kids Be Doing Things That Make Them Bully Bait? | McAfee Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"\u201cSeriously, sometimes I think some kids are trying to get bullied,\u201d she opined with a frustrated sigh. I stopped what I was doing and looked up. \u201cWhat do\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/family-safety\/could-your-kids-be-doing-things-that-make-them-bully-bait\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"McAfee Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/McAfee\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2014-01-14T13:00:45+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-08-28T05:39:06+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/girls-laughing-300x200.jpg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Toni Birdsong\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@McAfee\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@McAfee\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Toni Birdsong\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/family-safety\/could-your-kids-be-doing-things-that-make-them-bully-bait\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/family-safety\/could-your-kids-be-doing-things-that-make-them-bully-bait\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Toni Birdsong\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/#\/schema\/person\/43ae9712cde24fe81854f2daa0af1228\"},\"headline\":\"Could Your Kids Be Doing Things That Make Them Bully Bait?\",\"datePublished\":\"2014-01-14T13:00:45+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-08-28T05:39:06+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/family-safety\/could-your-kids-be-doing-things-that-make-them-bully-bait\/\"},\"wordCount\":881,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/family-safety\/could-your-kids-be-doing-things-that-make-them-bully-bait\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/bullying_stat.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"cyberbullying\",\"facebook\",\"protecting kids online\",\"social networking\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Family Safety\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/family-safety\/could-your-kids-be-doing-things-that-make-them-bully-bait\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/family-safety\/could-your-kids-be-doing-things-that-make-them-bully-bait\/\",\"name\":\"Could Your Kids Be Doing Things That Make Them Bully Bait? | McAfee Blog\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/family-safety\/could-your-kids-be-doing-things-that-make-them-bully-bait\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/family-safety\/could-your-kids-be-doing-things-that-make-them-bully-bait\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/bullying_stat.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2014-01-14T13:00:45+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-08-28T05:39:06+00:00\",\"description\":\"\u201cSeriously, sometimes I think some kids are trying to get bullied,\u201d she opined with a frustrated sigh. I stopped what I was doing and looked up. \u201cWhat do\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/family-safety\/could-your-kids-be-doing-things-that-make-them-bully-bait\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/family-safety\/could-your-kids-be-doing-things-that-make-them-bully-bait\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/family-safety\/could-your-kids-be-doing-things-that-make-them-bully-bait\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/bullying_stat.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/bullying_stat.jpg\",\"width\":1000,\"height\":664},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/family-safety\/could-your-kids-be-doing-things-that-make-them-bully-bait\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Blog\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Family Safety\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/family-safety\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":3,\"name\":\"Could Your Kids Be Doing Things That Make Them Bully Bait?\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/\",\"name\":\"McAfee Blog\",\"description\":\"Internet Security News\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/#organization\",\"name\":\"McAfee\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/mcafee-logo.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/mcafee-logo.png\",\"width\":1286,\"height\":336,\"caption\":\"McAfee\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/McAfee\/\",\"https:\/\/x.com\/McAfee\",\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/mcafee\/\",\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/McAfee\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/#\/schema\/person\/43ae9712cde24fe81854f2daa0af1228\",\"name\":\"Toni Birdsong\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/de48b651aa67772c9c2a8d7e7eee076a\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/Toni-Black-Shirt-Headshot-150x150.jpeg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/Toni-Black-Shirt-Headshot-150x150.jpeg\",\"caption\":\"Toni Birdsong\"},\"description\":\"Toni Birdsong began her career as a reporter in Los Angeles and later became a writer for Walt Disney Imagineering. Her passion for digital safety started 10 years ago as a way to gain the survival skills she needed to parent her own connected teenagers. Her goal with each post is to give busy parents the insight they need raise wiser, more compassionate digital kids. When she\u2019s not writing (her first love), you can find Toni hiking, watching TikTok, or trying not to break an important body part at CrossFit.\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/author\/toni-birdsong\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Could Your Kids Be Doing Things That Make Them Bully Bait? | McAfee Blog","description":"\u201cSeriously, sometimes I think some kids are trying to get bullied,\u201d she opined with a frustrated sigh. I stopped what I was doing and looked up. \u201cWhat do","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Could Your Kids Be Doing Things That Make Them Bully Bait? | McAfee Blog","og_description":"\u201cSeriously, sometimes I think some kids are trying to get bullied,\u201d she opined with a frustrated sigh. I stopped what I was doing and looked up. \u201cWhat do","og_url":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/family-safety\/could-your-kids-be-doing-things-that-make-them-bully-bait\/","og_site_name":"McAfee Blog","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/McAfee\/","article_published_time":"2014-01-14T13:00:45+00:00","article_modified_time":"2025-08-28T05:39:06+00:00","og_image":[{"url":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/girls-laughing-300x200.jpg","type":"","width":"","height":""}],"author":"Toni Birdsong","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@McAfee","twitter_site":"@McAfee","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Toni Birdsong","Est. reading time":"4 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/family-safety\/could-your-kids-be-doing-things-that-make-them-bully-bait\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/family-safety\/could-your-kids-be-doing-things-that-make-them-bully-bait\/"},"author":{"name":"Toni Birdsong","@id":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/#\/schema\/person\/43ae9712cde24fe81854f2daa0af1228"},"headline":"Could Your Kids Be Doing Things That Make Them Bully Bait?","datePublished":"2014-01-14T13:00:45+00:00","dateModified":"2025-08-28T05:39:06+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/family-safety\/could-your-kids-be-doing-things-that-make-them-bully-bait\/"},"wordCount":881,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/family-safety\/could-your-kids-be-doing-things-that-make-them-bully-bait\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/bullying_stat.jpg","keywords":["cyberbullying","facebook","protecting kids online","social networking"],"articleSection":["Family Safety"],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/family-safety\/could-your-kids-be-doing-things-that-make-them-bully-bait\/","url":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/family-safety\/could-your-kids-be-doing-things-that-make-them-bully-bait\/","name":"Could Your Kids Be Doing Things That Make Them Bully Bait? | McAfee Blog","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/family-safety\/could-your-kids-be-doing-things-that-make-them-bully-bait\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/family-safety\/could-your-kids-be-doing-things-that-make-them-bully-bait\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/bullying_stat.jpg","datePublished":"2014-01-14T13:00:45+00:00","dateModified":"2025-08-28T05:39:06+00:00","description":"\u201cSeriously, sometimes I think some kids are trying to get bullied,\u201d she opined with a frustrated sigh. I stopped what I was doing and looked up. \u201cWhat do","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/family-safety\/could-your-kids-be-doing-things-that-make-them-bully-bait\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/family-safety\/could-your-kids-be-doing-things-that-make-them-bully-bait\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/family-safety\/could-your-kids-be-doing-things-that-make-them-bully-bait\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/bullying_stat.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/bullying_stat.jpg","width":1000,"height":664},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/family-safety\/could-your-kids-be-doing-things-that-make-them-bully-bait\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Blog","item":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Family Safety","item":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/family-safety\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Could Your Kids Be Doing Things That Make Them Bully Bait?"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/","name":"McAfee Blog","description":"Internet Security News","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/#organization","name":"McAfee","url":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/mcafee-logo.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/mcafee-logo.png","width":1286,"height":336,"caption":"McAfee"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/McAfee\/","https:\/\/x.com\/McAfee","https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/mcafee\/","https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/McAfee"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/#\/schema\/person\/43ae9712cde24fe81854f2daa0af1228","name":"Toni Birdsong","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/de48b651aa67772c9c2a8d7e7eee076a","url":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/Toni-Black-Shirt-Headshot-150x150.jpeg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/Toni-Black-Shirt-Headshot-150x150.jpeg","caption":"Toni Birdsong"},"description":"Toni Birdsong began her career as a reporter in Los Angeles and later became a writer for Walt Disney Imagineering. Her passion for digital safety started 10 years ago as a way to gain the survival skills she needed to parent her own connected teenagers. Her goal with each post is to give busy parents the insight they need raise wiser, more compassionate digital kids. When she\u2019s not writing (her first love), you can find Toni hiking, watching TikTok, or trying not to break an important body part at CrossFit.","url":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/author\/toni-birdsong\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32467","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/642"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=32467"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32467\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":221427,"href":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32467\/revisions\/221427"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/38467"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=32467"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=32467"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=32467"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=32467"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}