Posted in 21st Century parenting, American Academy of Pediatrics, device-free times, digital devices, digital parenting strategies, parents and technology, screen time

No Electronic Devices in Kids’ Bedrooms

cropped-ipad-melange.jpgCurrently, a conversation about screen time is occurring on my area listserv.  It’s interesting to read various points of view. Some people feel that various apps designed to limit screen time and other digital activities are the way to go.  Others point to need to be hands-on about contracts, agreements, and digital rules of the road.  Almost everyone seems to be frustrated about defining the line between schoolwork and recreational screen times. Twenty-first Century digital parenting never lacks for challenges!

Over the years, however, many parents have consistently told me about four effective steps they have taken when it comes to screen time. Continue reading “No Electronic Devices in Kids’ Bedrooms”

Posted in parents and technology

We Don’t Worry About Privacy Like You Do, People Tell Me…

imageWhen I discuss digital privacy with adults it’s not uncommon for them to tell me that they are far less concerned about the subject than I am. Frequently I get responses similar to the those below:

  • We just aren’t as worried about privacy as you are.
  • I lead a law-abiding life, follow rules, and have nothing to hide. Who cares.

But the fact is, the world is interested in each of us, and the way they find out about us is through tracking what we do and say on the web, on our phones, through every single thing we purchase, and every place we go (even if we have location mostly turned off). Even our car computers collect and share information on us. It’s been this way for a long time.  I even wrote a post, I’ve Got Nothing to Hide So I’m Not Worried, way back in 2013.

Continue reading “We Don’t Worry About Privacy Like You Do, People Tell Me…”

Posted in 21st Century Learning, 21st Century teaching, brain, digital parenting, learning and the brain, parents and technology

What We Want Kids to Know About How the Brain Learns

brain smallIf on occasion, you become concerned about how your child handles stressful learning situations, read this insightful article, Daydreaming is Good for You, and Other Things I Want Kids to Know About their Brains. The writer describes a range of brain capabilities, explaining how they can support young learners. Growing children need to understand how these basic neurological brain features can help them become stronger, confident, and more effective learners.   Continue reading “What We Want Kids to Know About How the Brain Learns”

Posted in 21st Century life, digital devices, parents and technology

Surge Protectors — Do You Need to Learn More About Them?

0-1If your home is anything like mine, you have surge protectors all over the place, providing power and protection to appliances and 21st Century digital devices. Even my refrigerator is plugged into one after a power surge took out a number of refrigerators in the neighborhood.

Some surge protectors are powerful devices that promise, not only to protect appliances and devices but to pay for replacement devices if it does protect during a surge. Other devices, power strips that look like surge protectors, are just glorified extension cords.

Continue reading “Surge Protectors — Do You Need to Learn More About Them?”

Posted in digital kids, parent child conversations, parent education, parental control apps, parents and technology

No Surprise that Kids Figure Out Parental Controls

parental controls
Happy Halloween 2019!

No, I was not surprised to read that kids figure out how to how to get around the Apple iPhone parental controls. The Washington Post published an October 15, 2019 article that tells all about it, and in my experience, the kids’ actions are not limited to Apple parental controls.

Continue reading “No Surprise that Kids Figure Out Parental Controls”

Posted in 21st century job hunting, 21st Century life, 21st Century parenting, digital footprints, digital life, parents and technology, social media

Can You Have an Online Presence & Still Have Some Online Privacy?

Privacy spiralHow do you develop a solid online presence while simultaneously having the ability to enjoy a social media account with friends and maybe even be a little goofy? It is possible, but organizing one’s digital footprints takes organization and attention.

This issue is of paramount importance for people who will be applying for school or jobs in today’s digital world.

To learn more about managing life in the social media world check out an informative New York Times article that describes how a 21st Century individual goes about balancing privacy with a necessary public online presence. Many people worry about how much to share in the digital world and how to separate personal and professional personas. The article, Build an Online Presence Without Giving Up Privacy, explains how a person can go about doing it. Continue reading “Can You Have an Online Presence & Still Have Some Online Privacy?”

Posted in 21st Century life, extremism, hate group recruiting, hate groups on the web, hateful comments, parents and technology

Yes, White Supremacists Do Attempt to Recruit Kids Online

Expressing hate is so easy with just a few taps on the keyboard.Hate groups and their members have been around for a long time, but the connected world has amplified their insidious messages for people of all ages. A sizeable percentage of the online messages from these groups are aimed at middle and high school children.

Recently an article, ‘Listen up.’ How White Supremacists are Recruiting Boys Online, appeared in the September 17, 2019 Washington Post and described in some detail how extremist groups are attempting to recruit adolescents.

Over the years, I’ve shared my excitement about computers, the Internet, the web, and eventually social media with people of all ages, and I continue to believe in the power of technology and learning. Yet, on a regular basis, a small interior voice of discomfort warned me again and again about extremists’ digital activities. Articles appearing on one of my news feeds would catch my attention, or occasionally a middle or high school student or a parent would comment about hateful comments seen online. Once a colleague shared an article that described how hate groups recruit kids with cool music. Continue reading “Yes, White Supremacists Do Attempt to Recruit Kids Online”