In today's world, technology is unavoidable. It's everywhere. Our children depend on it for their education, social interactions, and entertainment. As parents, we're constantly trying to find that balance of allowing kids to stay socially connected and current with technology, while also making sure they're not overusing it or engaging in risky behavior.
It can be very difficult to find the right balance when your child constantly wants to engage in things like gaming and social media. Since most parents didn't grow up with this technology, it can be hard to see eye-to-eye with your child.
In the articles below, you'll find tips on how to keep kids safe online and how to set rules and structure around appropriate technology usage.
Your teen needed a laptop for school, so you bought it. He needed a phone to keep in touch with you, so after a half-hour argument with him at the wireless store, a “phone” became an iPhone 6. He has an iPad Air because, after you told him it wasn’t in the budget, he spent... Read more »
Is it just me or does it seem like children have lost their playfulness? Many of us can recall summer days spent playing games outside with friends, riding bikes, playing hopscotch, or making forts in the woods. Now, though, it seems that most kids prefer to lead a wired existence, constantly connected to some electronic... Read more »
Bullying incidents are no longer limited to the playground or the locker room. Cyberbullying, the latest form of bullying sweeping across middle and high schools, is pervasive. And the recent rash of suicides by kids who’ve been mercilessly cyberbullied certainly sets off alarm bells. Keeping up with technology can seem overwhelming and induce a sense... Read more »
Amber* got onto Facebook when she was 12. “It was easy," she said with a shrug. "All you have to do is lie about your age and give them your email address.” The teen, who is now 15, said, “I guess I accepted a lot of ‘Friends’ to my list without really knowing who they were.”... Read more »
When talking with parents about online safety, it seems as if everyone wants to know what button to push or what software to buy to ensure their child never sees porn, never talks to strangers online, and never posts provocative pictures. So let me say this from the get-go: there is nothing you or any... Read more »
