parental controls – Media! Tech! Parenting!

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

Posted on January 15, 2020 by Marti Weston

Currently, 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” →

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

No Surprise that Kids Figure Out Parental Controls

Posted on October 31, 2019October 31, 2019 by Marti Weston

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” →

cell phones, digital parenting, mobile phones, parents and technology

Getting a Cell Phone for a Child in Summer 2012?

Posted on May 30, 2012March 19, 2019 by Marti Weston

The Techlicious blog features an information-filled post, with resources for parents who want to learn more about features and limits-setting as they go about considering whether to purchase a cell phone for a child. In her May 28, 2012 piece Suzanne Kantra describes some of the newest parental control packages on the market at large mobile phone carriers.

Kantra compares and contrasts various features that address a variety of parent concerns including:

- - Keeping track of kids
  - Text messaging limits
  - Entertainment

Below are a few past blog posts from MediaTechParenting on mobile phones and kids.

Kids’ Cell Phones? Who’s in Charge Here?
Is Your Child Starting Middle School? A Cell Phone Is Fun but It’s Not a Toy
Want Sleep in Your Home? Get a Charging Station
BMW PSA: Cell Phones, Texting, and Distracted Driving – the best public service announcement on driving and electronics that I’ve ever seen.

acceptable use, cell phones, parents and technology, resources to read

A Cell Phone is Fun, but It’s Not a Toy

Posted on June 26, 2010February 28, 2015 by Marti Weston

Even though most children now have cell phones, and while these devices seem like a necessary accessory for pre-teens and adolescents, parents should remind their children — on a regular basis — that cell phones are not toys. Mobile phones are sophisticated communication tools that also happen to entertain in many ways. They are fun to use, however, all family members need to learn as much as possible about the power of cell phones. The 2009 document Cell Phone Guide for Families With Children: Everything You Need to Know, written by Carnegie Mellon University’s My Secure Cyberspace, provides comprehensive information on cell phones. Another document from the same source is Should Your Child Have a Cell Phone?

A gadget orientation is critical. Before handing over a new mobile phone to a child, take the time to go over general guidelines and expectations. Review these expectations regularly, and update them each time a child’s gets a phone upgrade. Parents may also consider setting up a cell phone contract that spells out how a cell phone expectations and possible consequences when a child breaks the rules.

Continue reading “A Cell Phone is Fun, but It’s Not a Toy” →