Hopefully, when you talk to your kids about online safety, you talk about the importance of not revealing sensitive identifying information online, like their home address, the name of their school, or their phone number. But there are other types of information that may seem innocent to you and your kids, but can actually be very revealing. Take a look at some of the seemingly innocuous information that your kids shouldn’t share online. Geotagged Photos […]
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It takes almost no preparation to take a photo anymore. You don’t have to carry a separate device with you or worry about film. Everyone is carrying a camera on their phones, and everybody has pictures to share. So it’s not surprising that Instagram, a photo-based social media site, is so popular with teens and adults alike. It’s natural for your preteen to want to get in on the fun. But is Instagram safe for […]
Anonymous apps have been around for a while. Over the years, apps like Formspring, Whisper, Yik Yak, and Ask.fm have experienced periods of trendiness among teens. Currently, an app called Sarahah is rising in the ranks of popularity. What do teens do on these anonymous apps? Why are teens attracted to them, and are they safe? Take a look at what you need to know about anonymous apps. What Are Anonymous Apps For? Most anonymous […]
When your children are young, they may be fascinated or frightened by fairy tales involving trolls. In folklore, these unpleasant creatures may pop out from under a bridge or other dark place, and they are often vanquished by the story’s hero. As your children get older, they may come in contact with another type of troll that’s not so easily dispatched–the internet troll. Take a look at what you need to know about online trolling […]
The question of when to give your child a cell phone is a common dilemma for today’s parents. There are several good reasons for a child to have a smartphone. A smartphone gives you the ability to communicate with your child at any time, it can be used as a classroom or educational aid, and it allows your children to socialize with their friends in a way that’s common to their generation. But there are […]
You know that there are dangers on the internet, and you want to keep your child safe. That means keeping track of what your child is doing online. One of the common ways that parents do this is by visually checking the child’s cell phone. But is that enough? Take a look at a few reasons just looking at your child’s cell phone might not be enough to keep your child safe from online dangers […]
Some of the potential dangers online are obvious to you and your child. For example, as unpleasant as bullying might be, cyber bullies reveal themselves to be people your child will want to avoid if possible. But there are also online predators who may seem to your child to be trustworthy people – friends, or even romantic interests. These predators use a process called grooming to gain your child’s trust. What Is Grooming? “Grooming” is […]
Did you know that October is Bullying Prevention Month? It’s easy for parents to think of bullying as a school-related thing, but bullying can happen any place – even at home, thanks to the ability of cyberbullies to reach a teen no matter where they happen to be. Parents should take the opportunity this month to broach the subject of bullying with their teens. Take a look at some discussions that you may want to […]
For worried parents of teen drivers, there’s some good news: teens are less likely to drive drunk than they used to be. In fact, the drunk driving rate for 16 to 20-year-olds declined by 59% between 2012 and 2014. That’s huge! Unfortunately, there’s bad news too. Today’s teens may be drinking less, but that doesn’t mean that they’re fully focused behind the wheel. Distracted driving–in other words, driving without giving one’s full attention to the […]
In the modern age, it is often hard to know whether or not your child’s online activity is safe. Not only is there the threat of Cyberbullying, but it is also for your child to do something that endangers the privacy of your entire family. Not only that, but your child could also be exposed to content that is not age appropriate. There are many schools of thought when it comes to whether or not […]
The statistics about texting and driving tell a clear story: it’s dangerous. Almost 330,000 injuries a year are caused by texting and driving. For teenagers, the news is even scarier: 11 teens die every day because of texting and driving. And although almost all teens acknowledge the dangers of texting and driving, more than a third of them admit to doing it anyway. So how can you discourage the teenager in your life from engaging […]
Smartphones are an important part of modern teenager socialization. They’re also quite handy for parents – with a smartphone, you can always reach your teen if you need to. And, you know that your teen can always make an emergency phone call if they need to. But with all of these benefits come some potential pitfalls and dangers for your teen. It’s important to make sure that your teen uses their phone responsibly to avoid these […]
For a parent, the idea of your child being in danger from a shadowy stranger is one of the most frightening scenarios imaginable. It’s why you teach your child early to avoid talking to strangers. However, on the internet, talking to strangers may not seem so dangerous. Apps on your child’s cell phone may enable and even encourage them to talk to people they don’t know, and some of those people have nefarious intentions. Here […]
There are a lot of good reasons to encourage empathy in your teen. The ability to empathize helps people make and maintain relationships, enhances problem-solving ability, and improves the ability to work in a team—all of which are essential parts of a healthy personal and professional life. However, it can seem difficult to breed empathy in teens. This is especially true in an age where online communication has replaced face-to-face communication in many situations, which […]
Would your teen ever send a sexually suggestive picture of themselves via text or social media? If your teen received an explicit picture from someone else, would they share it publicly or send it to others? Most parents would like to believe that the answer to both of these questions is no, but sexting and revenge porn is a more common problem among teenagers than parents would like to believe. Here’s what you need to […]