From its earliest days, YouTube has been a site for people over 13, but with increased family content and the rise of shared devices, the likelihood of children watching without supervision has increased. When YouTube Kids was launched in February 2015, the goal was to create a place where kids could access enriching and engaging…
Parenting
Adverse Childhood Experiences: What They Are and How to Prevent Them
This post is made possible with support from the American Academy of Pediatrics through a cooperative agreement with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. All opinions are my own. As a college student majoring in psychology, I spent a summer interning at a residential treatment facility for children who were physically and sexually abused….
Tweens, Teens & Phones: What Common Sense Media’s 2019 Research Reveals
A lot has changed about technology since I started this blog in 2008. The first iPhone launched in the summer of 2007, giving owners of the iPhone 3G access to 500 apps although the App Store didn’t open until July 10, 2008. Twitter and Facebook hadn’t become part of mainstream culture, let alone the source…
8 Ways to Manage Daily Tech Use to Regain Control of Your Digital Life
This post is sponsored by Google A new year has started and with it comes new resolutions that are often broken. Instead of putting pressure on yourself to make and keep resolutions, it’s ok to be more mindful- especially when it comes to technology use. Managing tech use is no simple task and often taking…
How to Talk About Digital Wellbeing with Your Teens
This post is sponsored by Google In an age when our kids are surrounded by technology, are they mindful about unplugging in favor of their own digital wellbeing? If you doubt that your child even knows what it means to unplug, chances are they know how it feels when they spend too much time connected…
Celebrate World Kindness Day with Me & Google During a Twitter Chat TOMORROW 11/13 at 9 pm ET
This post is sponsored by Google It’s cool to be kind and no one knows that more than Google! In honor of tomorrow being World Kindness Day, (Wednesday, November 13), you’re invited to join me and Google for an #ItsCoolToBeKind Twitter chat. We’ll be talking about simple acts of daily kindness, treating others like they…
4 Lessons I’m Learning from Teaching and Parenting Teens
When my brother and I were in elementary school, one of our favorite games was Life. It simulates one’s adventures through adulthood and even though it has surprising twists and turns as you traverse the board in a miniature car, it never could have prepared me for the many unexpected moments that plagued our family…
8 Ways to Help Your New Teen Driver Stay Safe on the Road
Early milestones during our child’s younger such as the first steps and first birthday are just as exciting as those that come during the teen years. Events like high school, a first homecoming or prom, and taking driver’s education as a precursor to getting a driver’s license are exciting for kids when they hit double…
10 Tools That Will Help You Take Charge of Your Digital Life
This post is sponsored by Google Have you ever thought about the role technology plays in your life? Living a digital life is exciting but also complicated. Digital devices make us more productive, help us stay connected, allow us to keep learning, and provide a much-needed break from reality. Our phones are the first things…
How to Teach Your Kids to Unplug in Favor of Digital Wellbeing
This post is sponsored by Google Every family struggles with screen time. You’re not alone in telling your kids to put down their phones, issuing reminders about dwindling minutes when gaming, and feeling frustrated when requests to get off the computer fall on deaf ears. Some of us have tried to limit minutes using devices…
