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Unfiltered  What your Kids are Seeing and Doing Online

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Unfiltered  What your Kids are Seeing and Doing Online

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Unfiltered  What your Kids are Seeing and Doing Online

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Google AI - Build AI knowledge and literacy

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Google AI - Build AI knowledge and literacy

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Google AI - Build AI knowledge and literacy

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Find AI Literacy resources and training that empower students, educators, and families to use AI effectively, safely, and responsibly.

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FCPS Media Balance and Well-being Toolkit

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FCPS Media Balance and Well-being Toolkit

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9 research based ideas for using technology in a healthy way with supportive resources and reflection questions.

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To support students in developing an internal sense of "media balance", FCPS is providing guidance to families.

This Media Balance and Well-being Guide provides key points, guiding questions, and a toolkit of resources to help parents support healthy and balanced technology use in the home.

Anticipate challenges and take proactive action

Key Points for Parents and Guardians to Remember

Anticipate student challenges and turn them into learning opportunities.

Model, teach, and mentor students around appropriate technology use.

Use reflective language that supports student problem solving when challenges arise.

Ensure screen-time is educational.

Key Points for Parents and Guardians to Remember

When using digital media, look for opportunities to teach media literacy and character traits.

When using digital media, consider:

The content.

The context (when, where, why, how and with whom).

The different needs of children in relation to technology and media use.

The added value of the technology/media use.

Use Technology in a Goal-Directed and Purposeful Manner

Key Points for Parents and Guardians to Remember

Technology use should be intentional with a goal or purpose in mind.

Using technology to avoid uncomfortable feelings such as boredom impacts our ability to find productive ways to manage feelings.

Balance Online and Offline Learning Experiences and Materials

Key Points for Parents and Guardians to Remember

Face to face and digital communication and collaboration are both necessary and need direct instruction, practice, monitoring, and mentoring.

Children need opportunities to use a variety of materials for learning.

Be mindful of the volume of digital media consumption.

Prioritize active use of technology for creation, critical thinking, and collaboration.

Key Points for Parents and Guardians to Remember

Favor activities that use technology for creation, communication, research, modeling and data analysis

Promote active engagement where students are involved in critical thinking, collaboration, problem solving, and expressing

Too much passive use of technology correlates with increased depression, anxiety and attention issues.

Use high quality, age appropriate, and FCPS approved educational resources

Key Points for Parents and Guardians to Remember

Use digital tools and other media that are an appropriate match for a child's needs, abilities, interests, and developmental stage.

FCPS students have access to a library of approved tools and digital resources in the FCPS Digital Ecosystem.

Use routines to develop healthy habits for technology use.

Key Points for Parents and Guardians to Remember

Technology can impact your health, much like nutrition, sleep and exercise.

Use strategies to protect your eyes and prevent eye strain.

Maintain good posture and body positioning when using a device.

Become educated about potential negative effects of excessive screen time in terms of social, emotional, and neurobiological effects and methods to prevent them.

Create and Consistently Follow Expectations for Technology Use

Key Points for Parents and Guardians to Remember

Create and consistently follow home expectations that address:

What a caring and culturally responsive environment looks and sounds like.

When, where, and what technology can be used and under what conditions.

Care and maintenance of equipment.

Actively Monitor and Mediate Technology Use

Key Points for Parents and Guardians to Remember

Monitor your own digital footprint.

Monitor and mediate children's interactions in digital environments.

Help children understand, interpret, and analyze what they see, hear and experience online.

Model and teach self-regulation strategies for managing challenges when online.

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To support students in developing an internal sense of "media balance", FCPS is providing guidance to families.

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Online Safety: Parenting Tips for Kids and Teens

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Online Safety: Parenting Tips for Kids and Teens

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Online Safety: Parenting Tips for Kids and Teens

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In today’s connected world, helping kids and teens protect their privacy and maintain a positive online identity is critical to their future and overall well…

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A Guide to Modern Tech Safety for Kids and Teens

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A Guide to Modern Tech Safety for Kids and Teens

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Modern kids and teens are spending more time online than ever before.

A recent study found that teenagers currently spend more than eight and a half hours a day online outside of school, and younger children average five hours of screen time each day. So much of our children's world is online nowadays, so it is vital that they know how to navigate the internet safely.

New tech also presents new challenges. Tablets, iPads, and some wearable tech bring unique risks that parents must be aware of before allowing their children access to this technology.

In this article, we will give you a rundown of the state of the internet today, and dive into the potential threats your child may face online.

How Kids and Teens Are Using Tech

Understanding the way your kid uses their devices is the first step to protecting them online.

Tablets and iPads

In essence, tablet computers have an operating system very similar to smartphones, with the same mobility, but more processing power. However, tablets tend to rely on wi-fi connectivity versus data usage, therefore accessibility to the internet and apps is a possibility, opening up the risk of dangerous content.

Computers

Desktop computers and laptops will be commonplace as your child advances through school. Many modern kids and teenagers use their computers largely for academics and video gaming. It's important to be aware of the risks that come with using a computer at school.

Managing Your Child's Screen Time

The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychology recommends that children over the age of six maintain healthy boundaries around screen time and minimize non-educational screen usage as much as possible, and that screen time be limited for young children under the age of five. Extended screen time can lead to mood swings, disrupted sleep, and withdrawal from family and friends.

High quality educational apps and services can help encourage your child's love for learning. Your local library may even have ebook and audiobook rental apps that you can use for free! Proactively setting limits on screen time can help your child maintain healthy boundaries as they mature and avoid technology addiction.

Popular Apps Your Child May Be Using

These are some of the most common social media apps your child may be using.

TikTok

TikTok is a video-sharing app that is hugely popular among teens and kids. On TikTok, users can create short videos that range from fifteen seconds to three minutes long. The app has been criticized for being "addictive," as its finely-tuned algorithm aims to get users watching for as long as possible. TikTok also has harmful content and child grooming, making it unsafe for children.

Instagram

Instagram is a photo-sharing app that also has video capability. Owned by Meta, this network allows users to post selfies, landscapes, and any other photo they want to share. As of 2023, it was the most popular app for influencers. Instagram contributes to body dissatisfaction and unhealthy social comparisons.

BeReal

BeReal is a real-time photo sharing app that encourages its users to post unfiltered photos of themselves alongside what is in front of them once a day. The aim of this app is to "show unfiltered moments" and create a more authentic news feed than other social media apps. It can lead to an unhealthy focus on screens, rather than what is happening around a child.

Snapchat

Snapchat is a photo-messaging app that automatically deletes messages once they have been read. Many teens use it as a form of texting, carrying on regular conversations, and maintaining daily snap streaks by sending and opening "snaps" with each other at least once a day. Snapchat's security, though, is lacking - and may leave your child at risk. Snapchat is also known for facilitating cyberbullying.

Cyberbullying

When navigating the online world, your child may encounter cyberbullying. It is imperative that you are educated on the signs of cyberbullying and know how to protect your child from online bullies. Cyberbullying can take many forms, and can be easy to hide - so you need to know what to look for.

What Is Cyberbullying?

Cyberbullying is a form of bullying that takes place entirely online. Cyberbullying can happen in message rooms, on social media, in video games, and direct communications. The aim of cyberbullies is to make their victim feel ashamed, scared, or ostracized from their social group.

The cyberbullies may send abusive or threatening messages directly to their victim, or spread rumors about them on social media. They may post embarrassing or private photos of their victim and encourage others to leave hurtful comments. They may also "catfish" their victim, where they pretend to be another person in order to get close to somebody; conversely, they may use their victim's photos to impersonate them online and make them look bad.

Though cyberbullying looks different from case to case, any form of online harassment can be considered cyberbullying. Online bullying is unfortunately common among modern kids and teens, and often accompanies real-life bullying. However, unlike in-person bullying, cyberbullying leaves a written record of what's happened.

Signs Your Child is Being Cyberbullied

Though cyberbullying can sometimes fly under a parent's radar, there are some telltale symptoms that your child may be facing online harassment.

If your child seems overly sensitive to change, experiences mood swings, or becomes extremely protective of their phones or devices, these may be signs that cyberbullying is affecting them. Being the victim of a cyberbullying campaign can cause children to withdraw from their daily lives, internalizing the message that their bullies pass along.

How to Prevent Cyberbullying

Though there aren't many surefire ways to prevent cyberbullying, you can lower the chances that it will happen to your child. Being cognizant of your child's internet activity and staying involved in their online endeavors, especially while they're young, can help you spot the signs of harassment early.

Emphasize that your child should only talk to people they know in real life while online. Make sure your child knows how to adjust their privacy settings, how to report harmful comments, and when to log off and walk away.

How to Address Cyberbullying

It's important to respond once cyberbullying has happened. First, make sure your child knows that you are there to help them. Tell your child that you appreciate them coming to you and are going to help. It is imperative that your child feels safe and protected during this ordeal.

If the cyberbullying is happening on social media, show your child how to block and report the bullies' accounts. Also walk through their privacy settings to make sure their posts are only viewable by friends. If the bullying is severe, it's possible law enforcement might need to get involved. You may encourage your child to simply leave social media for some time.

If the cyberbullying is being perpetrated by kids your child knows in real life, alert their parents to the cyberbullying as well. You may want to loop in the school administration in order to discuss the bullying and work together to find a solution.

Protecting Your Child from Online Predators

It's an uncomfortable truth that there are people online who may try to harm your child. Whether the person is a bully, a doxxer, or a predator, children must be taught to be vigilant about their online safety.
What Not to Share Online
Have frequent conversations with your child about information that they should never share online, especially to a stranger. This information includes:

● Their home address

● Their school

● Passwords

● Their phone number

● Driver's license number

● Their parent's full names

Explain to your child why it's important to keep this information confidential, even if they think they can trust someone they met online. Teach them the signs of an online predator, and encourage them to trust any "gut feelings" they get about people online.

Maintaining Location Privacy

Walk through the location settings of all your child's apps, and show them how to ensure their location is off at all times. Also emphasize the importance of not giving out information about where they live to strangers.

What to Do if Your Child is Approached Online

Parents can help prepare children to begin to recognize online predators. Have a thorough conversation with your child about "tricky people," and how some people may try to gain their trust only to hurt them later on.

Regardless of the platform, block and report the person who is approaching your child. Be aware of which app or website your child was approached on, and keep an eye out for patterns of inappropriate behavior on those sites.

When children know that they can come to you with uncomfortable worries and problems they encounter online, they are more likely to ask for help. Parents can create safe spaces for their children to disclose anything that makes them feel uneasy.

Protecting Your Child from Adult Content

Adult content is readily available on all corners of the internet, from graphic and disturbing videos, to sexual content. If not protected, your child may come across a piece of media that they are not mature enough to understand.

Utilizing parental controls on your child's devices may help keep your child from seeing harmful content. You can block whole apps and websites, and set ratings limits on the games they can download and videos they can buy. Unfortunately, most parental control software is easily bypassed and ineffective.

When your child does come across adult content, be ready to have an open and honest conversation about what they've seen and how to process it.

What the Future of Tech Holds for Kids and Teens

The technology world is constantly innovating, with new devices and programs coming out every year. One exciting development is the adoption of new tech in education curriculums, with digital literacy becoming a cornerstone of modern education standards. Your child will likely continue to use new forms of technology in the classroom, and will possibly utilize them at home as well.

As augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) become more popular and accessible, these may become the new frontier in technology. Parental controls in AR/VR worlds are still being developed, but the best way to stay on top of these new forms of tech is by staying informed.

Preparing Kids for Success

As technology advances and tech companies begin to cater to children and teens more and more, we can prepare our children to stay safer online. Protecting their privacy, staying away from age-inappropriate content, and managing screen time limits are just the beginning of internet safety rules. With more advanced technology comes new sets of rules, and healthy conversations around tech use set kids up for success.

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A Guide to Modern Tech Safety for Kids and Teens

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Discover tips to protect your devices in the digital realm. This Tech Safety Guide provides practical strategies to safeguard your kids' online presence from cyber threats.

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Resources for Introducing New Devices at Home

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Resources for Introducing New Devices at Home

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https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGuzwjaWS1pq3CN34RzXuoeiOi0HbEebg

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Share your videos with friends, family, and the world

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Better Screen Time Free Digital Resources

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Better Screen Time Free Digital Resources

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Free resources by Andrea Davis, subscribe to the email newsletter and download as many guides as you want!

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Webinar-Effective Strategies for Balancing Family Screen Time

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Webinar-Effective Strategies for Balancing Family Screen Time

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Effective Strategies for Balancing Family Screen Time - WebinarGeek

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Conversation Starters for Families of Tweens and Teens Around Media

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Conversation Starters for Families of Tweens and Teens Around Media

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Celebrate Digital Citizenship Week in Your Classroom!

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Celebrate Digital Citizenship Week in Your Classroom!

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Digital Citizenship Week | Common Sense Education

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Amplify your students’ voices and give them ownership of their digital lives

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Promoting Digital Wellness - YouTube

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Take a look at FCPS technology resources and learn where to go for help with technology questions. Submit a tech support request ticket if needed.

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Ways Parents Can Manage Kids' Technology Use

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Ways Parents Can Manage Kids' Technology Use

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There is a new online service that is free to FCPS parents who are interested in knowing more about their child’s internet activity on an FCPS device. Parents can sign up to receive a weekly Parent Report from Lightspeed, our internet content filtering service, which will provide a list of the top sites the child visited that week.

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Digital Citizenship Student Curriculum

In FCPS we educate students to become digital citizens who are able to think critically about the opportunities and challenges of the digital world and use technology responsibly to learn, create, and participate.

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Are you looking for assistance with technology? Submit a tech support request ticket if needed.

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Digital Well-Being Lessons for Grades K-12

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Digital Well-Being Lessons for Grades K-12

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Research-based lessons to support students' social-emotional learning and digital well-being.

Media and tech have a way of magnifying the stress that young people face on a daily basis. But why is that the case? And more importantly, what can they do about it (besides just taking a break from their phones)?

Support students' digital well-being with this set of evidence-based lessons. Each is designed to help them build agency, reduce anxious thoughts, and increase mindfulness related to their tech habits.

The middle and high school lessons in this collection were co-developed by Common Sense Education and the Center for Digital Thriving at Harvard Graduate School of Education. Check out our Digital Well-Being Pacing Guide for implementation tips, curricular connections, and FAQs.

Digital Well-Being: Evidence-Based Lessons for the Classroom

Top Tools for Building Mindfulness in the Classroom

Help students increase mindfulness with these hand-picked apps and websites.

Emotional Intelligence Apps and Games

Help students identify and manage their emotions.

The lessons in this collection were co-created by Common Sense Education and the Center for Digital Thriving at Harvard Graduate School of Education.

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Digital Well-Being Lessons for Grades K-12 | Common Sense Education

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Research-based lessons to support the digital well-being of middle school students.

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Protecting kids against Digital Exploitation: Keeping kids safe online

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Protecting kids against Digital Exploitation: Keeping kids safe online

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Protecting kids against Digital Exploitation: Keeping kids safe online

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Social Media Basics for Parents - YouTube

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Choosing Digital Apps, Games and Services Wisely

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Choosing Digital Apps, Games and Services Wisely

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What to consider when selecting apps, games, media, and online services for your children.

Many parents worry about the amount of time their children are spending on devices. Time is one consideration, and the content and features of media they're using are important, too. The six steps below will help families discover high-quality media. They will also help parents learn what to look for and discuss with their children before using a new app, game or service.

Step 1: Make a list of the specific games, apps, or media your children want to use.

Step 2: Use reviews to learn about the game, app, or media. The following two sites provide information about what is in a game, app, movie, or online service.

Step 3: Consider the following questions to help you make a decision. Click to expand each question for suggestions about what to discuss with your children.

Talk with your child about where they can go to find age-appropriate apps, games, movies, etc.

Talk with your child about:

what personal information is ok to share and with whom.

whether it's ok to share photos/videos and when does a photo or video cross the line into inappropriate.

what they can do if they receive communications that make them feel uncomfortable or scared.

your expectations for how to treat people when communicating online.

what to do if someone they are communicating with is in trouble or needs help.

Talk with your child about:

why using content or online services that are not age-appropriate may be unhealthy or unsafe.

real life vs. dramatization.

adult content vs. kid content.

Talk with your child about:

whether you expect location services to be on or off and why.

the benefits and potential dangers of leaving location services turned on. Some services make it visible for others to see where they are.

Talk with your child about:

whether they can purchase additional features and if so, what process you expect them to follow.

whether they should ask permission before making a purchase.

whether you will preload money into the accounts for them to use.

how to keep track of how much money they are spending. Make it visible so they learn money management.

how companies use what the buy and click on to advertise to them.

Talk with your child about:

the value of their digital footprint and how to cultivate a positive one that will help their current and future opportunities.

who looks at digital footprints (colleges, future employers, friends, family, community members).

what is helpful to publish and might be harmful to publish.

Talk with your child about:

the importance of self-regulation. Explain why it is important to consider immediate and future consequences of live streaming their experiences.

your family's values and when/where and what content is ok to live stream or whether you permit it at all.

Talk with your child about:

the information the app, game, or service is collecting about them and why it matters.

who their information can be shared with.

Talk with your child about:

copyright and their rights and responsibilities as consumers and creators of online content.

Creative Commons licensing and how they can decide how their original works of art can be used by others.

Talk with your child about why the app, game, media or online services is or isn't in alignment with your family's values.

Step 4: Ok, you've done your research! Next, decide if the app, game, or media is right for your family. Does your child have the maturity and self-regulation skills to use it in a safe, responsible and ethical manner?

Step 5: Establish expectations and consequences. Tell your child about any parental controls you plan to use. Be consistent about expectations and consequences. FCPS provides resources for establishing expectations.

Step 6: Enjoy using media, apps, and games together. Help your child develop a safe and healthy relationship with their media and devices.

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Choosing Digital Apps, Games, and Services Wisely

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What to consider when selecting apps, games, media, and online services for your children. Many parents worry about the amount of time their children are spending on devices. Time is one consideration, and the content and features of media they're using are important, too. The six steps below will help families discover high-quality media.

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Digital Citizenship Series Part 1: How to Find Balance with Technology

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Developing safe, responsible and ethical digital citizens

What is Digital Citizenship?

Digital Citizenship can be described as the norms of appropriate, responsible behavior (and its positive and negative impact on self and others) with regard to technology use. To learn more about the topics of digital citizenship, use this topic summary.

Virginia legislation requires schools to include a component on internet safety for students in the division's acceptable internet use policies and integrated within the instructional programs.

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Developing safe, responsible and ethical digital citizens Digital Citizenship can be described as the norms of appropriate, responsible behavior (and its positive and negative impact on self and others) with regard to technology use. To learn more about the topics of digital citizenship, use this topic summary.

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Having read both, I would say Deep Work is a much stronger book overall - if you had to pick just one to read, pick Deep Work over Digital Minimalism.Having read both, I would say Deep Work is a much stronger book overall - if you had to pick just one to read, pick Deep Work over Digital Minimalism. Deep Work is a core philosophy; Digital Minimalism is a supplemental tool that might help you implement that philosophy. But they are technically stand-alone books. ...more (less)

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Having read both, I would say Deep Work is a much stronger book overall - if you had to pick just one to read, pick Deep Work over Digital Minimalism.Having read both, I would say Deep Work is a much stronger book overall - if you had to pick just one to read, pick Deep Work over Digital Minimalism.

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Media Moms & Digital Dads book. Read 14 reviews from the world's largest community for readers. A new media was unleashed upon the world and children too...

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Screenwise book. Read 57 reviews from the world's largest community for readers. Screenwise offers a realistic and optimistic perspective on how to thoug...

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Guidance for how to set expectations with links to common parental control sites for the services and devices used by many families.

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Digital Citizenship: Establishing Expectations at Home

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A Four-Pronged Approach to Supporting Your Child’s Technology Use

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Learn about parental controls for gaming systems.

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Parental Controls - Tools for Parents | ESRB Ratings

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Parental controls help you manage your children's video game use, even when you aren't around. Check out guides for PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo, and PC.

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Parental Control Information from the National Cybersecurity Alliance

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Parental Control Information from the National Cybersecurity Alliance

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Securing Key Accounts and Devices

Parental controls are available on most internet-enabled devices like computers, smartphones, tablets and gaming systems. When enabling parental controls, use age-appropriate settings to filter, monitor and block your child's activities.

As a parent, you'll likely want to allow your children to use technology for communications, learning and more. You're also going to want to be sure that your children use the internet safely and securely. Parental controls are a great way to be proactive about your child's online safety and activities.

OnGuardOnline.gov gives a breakdown of different types of parental controls:

Filtering and blocking limit access to specific websites, words or images.

Blocking outgoing content prevents your children from sharing personal information online and via email.

Limiting time allows parents to set time limits for how long their children are online and the time of day they can access the internet.

Monitoring tools alert parents to their children's online activity without blocking access and can be used with or without the child's knowledge. Some software can record which websites a child has visited. Other programs display warning messages when children visit certain websites.

Mobile phone service providers have different options for controlling privacy and usage, filtering content and location and monitoring settings.

Usage controls: Most companies will allow parents to turn off features, such as downloading videos or images, text messaging and accessing the internet. These controls can also be used to limit the number of calls or texts and set time restrictions.

Content filtering: These controls can block certain websites to allow for safer mobile browsing. Some filters can also limit videos and other multimedia.

Location and monitoring settings: These controls allow parents to track their children's whereabouts using GPS systems that are built into mobile devices.

Protect yourself with these STOP. THINK. CONNECT.™ tips:

Secure your phone: Use a strong passcode to lock your phone.

Think before you app: Review the privacy policy and understand what data (e.g., location, access to your social networks) an app can access on your device before you download.

Only give your mobile number out to people you know and trust, and never give anyone else's number out without their permission.

Consider disabling the geotagging feature on your phone.

Know how to cell block others: Using caller ID, you can block all incoming calls or block individual names and numbers.

Use caution when meeting face to face with someone who you only know through text messaging: Even though texting is often the next step after online chatting, it is not necessarily safer.

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Securing Key Accounts and Devices Parental controls are available on most internet-enabled devices like computers, smartphones, tablets and gaming systems. When enabling parental controls, use age-appropriate settings to filter, monitor and block your child's activities. As a parent, you'll likely want to allow your children to use technology for communications, learning and more.

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Digital Citizenship: Establishing Expectations at Home

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A Four-Pronged Approach to Supporting Your Child’s Technology Use

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Use our advice for parents on how to talk to kids about violence in the media, choosing age-appropriate content, research on the effects of media violence, and more.

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Parenting, Media, and Everything in Between

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Get advice about Screen Time from Common Sense Media editors.

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Tips and guidance for protecting your privacy and security online.

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The National Cybersecurity Alliance is a non-profit organization on a mission to create a more secure, interconnected world.

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Read our tips for using media to build character traits like humility, integrity, perseverance, and teamwork. Use these media recommendations the whole family can learn from.

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Social Media TestDrive prepares young people for real-life experiences in the digital world through learning and practicing within a realistic social media simulation.

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Welcome to the Social Media TestDrive official website!

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A program for families to eat together, have fun, and grow closer through conversation.

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Online all the Time (29 min)

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Online All the Time: Finding Balance in our Virtual World

Online All the Time: Finding Balance in our Virtual World

Join FCPS Instructional Technology Specialist Tammy Sisk; a 26 year veteran, for a conversation on how to create balance and well-being within our current virtual learning and living environment. Tammi shares practical strategies for students, families, and educators, who are looking for ways to find balance and increase their knowledge of digital citizenship.

2020 © Anchor FM Inc. All rights reserved.

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Online All the Time: Finding Balance in our Virtual World by Healthy Minds

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Online All the Time: Finding Balance in our Virtual World by Healthy Minds

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Join FCPS Instructional Technology Specialist Tammy Sisk; a 26 year veteran, for a conversation on how to create balance and well-being within our current virtual learning and living environment. Tammi shares practical strategies for students, families, and educators, who are looking for ways to find balance and increase their knowledge of digital citizenship.

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This site presents numerous strategies and tools to help you find balance with your technology that is right for you.

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As technology becomes more and more integral to everything we do, it can sometimes distract us from the things that matter most to us. We believe technology should improve life, not distract from it. We're committed to giving everyone the tools they need to develop their own sense of digital wellbeing. So that life, not the technology in it, stays front and center.

See all tools

Get a view of your daily digital habits.

The first step toward digital wellbeing is often understanding more about how you interact with technology in the first place. The dashboard gives you a daily view of how often you check your phone and how frequently you use different apps.

Learn more Opens in new window

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Digital Wellbeing through technology | Google

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Google believes technology should play a helpful role in people's lives, and we're committed to helping everyone find a balance that feels right.

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BOOKENDS with Julia Cook: The Technology Tail

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Buying New Devices-What Parents Need to Know

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Buying New Devices-What Parents Need to Know

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Buying New Devices: What Parents Need to Know

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Raising Screen Smart Kids with Julianna Miner

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Digital Citizenship and Executive Functioning

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Digital Citizenship and Executive Functioning

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Start Your Summer Screen-Time Rules Now!

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Start Your Summer Screen-Time Rules Now!

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Start Your Summer Screen-Time Rules Now!

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Nip screen-time excesses in the bud with summer screen rules that start today. Advice from Common Sense Media editors.

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Screentime Rules for Kids on Summer Break

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Screentime Rules for Kids on Summer Break

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This is an example of screen time rules for the summer. We recommend putting them in a frame of you want your kids to be able to check them off each day with a dry erase marker.

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Screentime Rules for Summer. Printable Screen Time Rules is a checklist of personal tasks, chores & educational / screen-free activities to earn screen time.

Screen Time Rules for Summer

Summer is the most relaxed time of year, but that doesn't mean your screen time rules should go away completely! Kids need to head outside for unstructured play, to run through the sprinklers and do all the things they can't during the school year.

That doesn't mean it's free reign to binge on tablets, apps and TV shows, no matter how educational they are.

As you get into Summer, it's Ok to allow devices, but it's also a good idea to set reasonable limits of their use. After all, you don't want electronics to become a free-for-all for the next few months.

Back when I was a kid, Summer meant entire days spent at the swimming pool, riding our bikes with friends, choreographing dances with the neighborhood girls and ghost stories after dark.

There wasn't much in the way of screen time aside from the occasional game of Tetris on my Gameboy, Mario Brothers when you were at "the cool kid's house" who had a Nintendo and TVs with only 8 -10 channels, not a bazillion like you see today.

Time certainly have changed, but Summers don't have to!

To ensure your kids aren't glued to devices all Summer long, it's a good idea to create a checklist they need to complete each day, including chores, personal tasks and some educational and screen-less activities, before they can earn a set amount of screen team.

Here is a free printable of Screen Time Rules you can use at your house this summer, or during weekends, on school breaks (or closures and quarantine) too.

It's up to you how much screen time you allow, butstudies show a limit of 30-60 minutes daily is the right amount before sending your kids back outside to explore and play with friends.

Great Summer Resources for You & Your Family:

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Screentime Rules for Kids on Summer Break

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Screentime Rules for Summer. Printable Screen Time Rules is a checklist of personal tasks, chores & educational / screen-free activities to earn screen time. Summer is the most relaxed time of year, but that doesn't mean your screen time rules should go away completely!

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Family Digital Wellness:  When is the Internet a Problem?

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FCPS Internal Digital Citizenship Website for Teachers

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FCPS Internal Digital Citizenship Website for Teachers

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Teachers will need to use their fcpsschools.net account to access

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Browse the RFC Collection of Books about Social Media

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Browse the RFC Collection of Books about Social Media

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https://socialmediavictims.org/social-media-addiction/

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Social Media Addiction | Definition, Signs, Contributing Factors - Social Media Victims Law Center

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Learn more about social media addiction, including the contributing factors, the dangers and the signs of social media addiction.

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Parent University: Digital Safety - November 6, 2019

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The Internet can be wonderful for kids. They can use it to research school reports, communicate with teachers and other kids, and play interactive games.

But online access also comes with risks, like inappropriate content, cyberbullying, and online predators. Using social media apps and websites where kids interact, predators may pose as a child or teen looking to make a new friend. They might prod the child to exchange personal information, such as address and phone number, or encourage kids to call them, seeing their phone number via caller ID.

Parents should be aware of what their kids see and hear online, who they meet, and what they share about themselves. Talk with your kids, use tools to protect them, and keep an eye on their activities.

Internet Safety Laws

A federal law, the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) helps protect kids younger than 13 when they're online. It's designed to keep anyone from getting a child's personal information without a parent knowing about it and agreeing to it first.

COPPA requires websites to explain their privacy policies and get parental consent before collecting or using a child's personal information, such as a name, address, phone number, or Social Security number. The law also prohibits a site from requiring a child to provide more personal information than necessary to play a game or enter a contest.

Online Protection Tools

Online tools let you control your kids' access to adult material and help protect them from Internet predators. Many Internet service providers (ISPs) provide parent-control options. You can also get software that helps block access to sites and restricts personal information from being sent online. Other programs can monitor and track online activity.

Getting Involved in Kids' Online Activities

More important than blocking objectionable material is teaching your kids safe and responsible online behavior, and keeping an eye on their Internet use.

Basic guidelines to share with your kids for safe online use:

Follow the family rules, and those set by the Internet service provider.

Never post or trade personal pictures.

Never reveal personal information, such as address, phone number, or school name or location.

Use only a screen name and don't share passwords (other than with parents).

Never agree to get together in person with anyone met online without parent approval and/or supervision.

Never respond to a threatening email, message, post, or text.

Always tell a parent or other trusted adult about any communication or conversation that was scary or hurtful.

Basic guidelines for parental supervision:

Spend time online together to teach your kids appropriate online behavior.

Keep the computer in a common area where you can watch and monitor its use, not in individual bedrooms. Monitor any time spent on smartphones or tablets.

Bookmark kids' favorite sites for easy access.

Check your credit card and phone bills for unfamiliar account charges.

Find out what, if any, online protection is offered by your child's school, after-school center, friends' homes, or any place where kids could use a computer without your supervision.

Take your child seriously if he or she reports an uncomfortable online exchange.

If you're aware of the sending, use, or viewing of child pornography online, call the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children at (800) 843-5678 or go online to their CyberTipline. They'll make sure the info is forwarded to law enforcement officials for investigation. Contact your local law enforcement agency or the FBI if your child has received child pornography via the Internet.

Watch for warning signs of a child being targeted by an online predator. These can include:

spending long hours online, especially at night

phone calls from people you don't know

unsolicited gifts arriving in the mail

your child suddenly turning off the computer or other device when you walk into the room

withdrawal from family life and reluctance to discuss online activities

Talk to your kids! Keep an open line of communication and make sure that they feel comfortable turning to you when they have problems online.

The Internet and Teens

As kids get older, it gets a little trickier to monitor their time spent online. They may carry a smartphone with them at all times. They probably want - and need - some privacy. This is healthy and normal, as they're becoming more independent from their parents. The Internet can provide a safe "virtual" environment for exploring some newfound freedom if precautions are taken.

Talk about the sites and apps teens use and their online experiences. Discuss the dangers of interacting with strangers online and remind them that people online don't always tell the truth. Explain that passwords are there to protect against things like identity theft. They should never share them with anyone, even a boyfriend, girlfriend, or best friend.

Taking an active role in your kids' online activities helps ensure that they benefit from them without being exposed to the potential dangers.

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The Internet is a wonderful resource, but access to it has its hazards for kids. Here's how to make sure your kids go online safely.

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Stay in the loop as your child explores on their Android device

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By Christine Elgersma | September 23, 2019

If you have an Apple device, you likely already know something about Screen Time. But if you've been interested in using parental controls to help manage your kids' Apple devices, and wonder if Screen Time will do the trick, it's important to know the details to make sure it's the best fit for your family. As with any parental controls, they're best used along with guidance and ongoing conversations to help your kids learn to manage their own media use. It's also worth noting that kids have found ways to get around some of the settings (as they do with most parental controls), so it's not an airtight solution.

Screen Time lets you see exactly how much time your kids spend on their phones and tablets, the times of day they're most active, and which apps they use the most. You can also set app time limits, filter inappropriate content, and schedule "downtime" -- basically, shut down the device -- whenever you want. (By the way, you can do this for yourself if you need help managing your own device use.)

Some of the settings will be familiar if you've used Apple's Family Sharing and Restrictions. But Screen Time has more features. You can set it up to manage your kid's device remotely (using Family Sharing) or you can simply use your kid's phone to enable screen limits (which you can password-protect) and review your kid's device use together.

So what will you see and what can you control?
Usage Tracking
Screen Time gives you a weekly report showing how long your kids have used their device that week and at what times of day (kids can see this on their device, too). You can also see what categories of apps (Productivity, Entertainment, etc.) and specific apps ( Snapchat, Fortnite) they use the most.

How you can use it. Since you can see your own usage info, too, it's a great conversation starter around balance and goals -- for the whole family. Take a look at which apps you're using most and when, and talk about the whys (why you use it the most) and hows (how you feel after using it). Figure out if your device is pumping you up or bumming you out. Could you stick to watching only 15 minutes of YouTube per day? Would that help you get your homework done faster or meet other personal goals?
App Limits
If your kids are using apps that you're concerned about (like, they can't control themselves) you can use App Limits to cut them off after a certain amount of time or on certain days. You can set App Limits by category, such as Social Networking or Entertainment, and for specific apps. You can even customize the amount of time for specific apps on particular days. If you want to limit everything, you can go into App Limits and select All Apps & Categories. Once kids hit their time limit, they can send a request for more time; you can either approve it or not.

How you can use it. Ultimately, you want to get kids to manage their own use by themselves, with no tools. If you can get them to set a goal, such as "I want to stick to 30 minutes of Fortnite a day," they'll feel great when they reach it. If you need a quicker solution, it's still a good idea to get kids' buy-in. Talk about their goals -- setting them for yourself might help, too -- and praise their efforts. If you're still having trouble, pull out your Family Media Agreement to make your rules concrete. Make sure to discuss the Request More Time feature, where kids can ask to extend the limit (through their device). Avoid using this feature as a reward for chores or homework: It's bound to lead to begging and take you away from the end goal of balance.
Downtime
This feature lets you block off a chunk of time when kids can't use their devices -- like from right around bedtime until they wake up. If your kid says, "But I listen to music to help me go to sleep!" No problem: You can set the Music app to Always Allowed, and your kid can access that app during Downtime.

How you can use it. Downtime is helpful to have for critical times, such as bedtime, meal times, and when your kid is in a particularly funky mood and just needs, well, downtime. Since late-night device use can really interfere with kids getting enough sleep, consider setting Downtime about an hour before bed until morning. This helps them wind down before they go to sleep and also frees up some time to talk about the day and do quiet, calm activities such as reading. To get buy-in, talk it through first, and set it up on your own phone so that it's a bonding experience rather than a top-down order.
Always Allowed
This is where you can select apps that your kid can always access, even during Downtime. Though you can never turn off the phone entirely, you can control who kids can contact during Downtime using Communication Limits. You can also turn off core apps like Messages, FaceTime, and Maps so that they won't come on either.

How you can use it. You might decide to allow access to certain apps that you don't mind your kid using at any time for any reason. These may be educational, soothing, or otherwise beneficial, such as bedtime music, podcasts, the Books apps, or meditation apps. Be choosy here, though. Otherwise, what's the point of Downtime?
Content & Privacy Restrictions
This section is basically the old Restrictions section, and you can control everything you could before: music, TV shows, apps, movies, web content, multiplayer games, and more. The iOS default is Allow All, Unrestricted, and Explicit (for music), so if content is a concern, you'll want to change those settings. In this section, you can also turn off in-app purchases and location services, and prevent your kids from changing your settings by locking them with a passcode.

How you can use it. Handing your kid an iPad or iPhone gives them access to all kinds of stuff, even if you don't download a single app. You can use the Content & Privacy Restrictions area of Screen Time to control the settings that mean the most to you and prevent your kid from making changes. Some of the settings you can make in this section, such as location tracking, are for your kid's safety. Talk about why these settings are nonnegotiable. Also, you might consider allowing your kids to "earn" the features they want, such as the ability to make in-app purchases, after they show that they can be super responsible with their device.

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By Christine Elgersma | September 23, 2019 If you have an Apple device, you likely already know something about Screen Time. But if you've been interested in using parental controls to help manage your kids' Apple devices, and wonder if Screen Time will do the trick, it's important to know the details to make sure it's the best fit for your family.

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Use parental controls on your child's iPhone and iPad

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Use parental controls on your child's iPhone and iPad

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With Content & Privacy Restrictions in Screen Time, you can block or limit specific apps and features on your child's device. You can also restrict the settings on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch for explicit content, purchases and downloads, and privacy.

Set Content & Privacy Restrictions

1. Go to Settings and tap Screen Time.

2. Tap Turn on Screen Time, then tap it again. Choose "This is My [Device]" or "This is My Child's [Device]."

If you're the parent or guardian of your device and want to prevent another family member from changing your settings, tap Use Screen Time Passcode to create a passcode, then re-enter the passcode to confirm. After you confirm your passcode you'll be asked to enter your Apple ID and password. This can be used to reset your Screen Time passcode if you forget it.

If you're setting up Screen Time on your child's device, follow the prompts until you get to Screen Time Passcode and enter a passcode. Re-enter the passcode to confirm. After you confirm your passcode you'll be asked to enter your Apple ID and password. This can be used to reset your Screen Time passcode if you forget it.

3. Tap Content & Privacy Restrictions. If asked, enter your passcode, then turn on Content & Privacy Restrictions.

Make sure to choose a passcode that's different from the passcode that you use to unlock your device. To change or turn off the passcode on your child's device, tap Settings > Screen Time > [your child's name]. Then tap Change Screen Time Passcode or Turn Off Screen Time Passcode, and authenticate the change with Face ID, Touch ID, or your device passcode.
Learn what to do if you forgot your Screen Time passcode
With iOS 16 or later, while you're setting up Screen Time for a child's device, you can set age-related restrictions for content in apps, books, TV shows, and movies. Just follow the onscreen instructions during setup.

Prevent iTunes & App Store purchases

You can also prevent your child from being able to install or delete apps, make in-app purchases, and more. To prevent iTunes & App Store purchases or downloads:

1. Go to Settings and tap Screen Time.

2. Tap Content & Privacy Restrictions. If asked, enter your passcode.

3. Tap iTunes & App Store Purchases.

4. Choose a setting and set to Don't Allow.

You can also change your password settings for additional purchases from the iTunes & App Store or Book Store. Follow steps 1-3, then choose Always Require or Don't Require.

Allow built-in apps and features

You can restrict the use of built-in apps or features. If you turn off an app or feature, the app or feature won't be deleted, it's just temporarily hidden from your Home Screen. For example, if you turn off Mail, the Mail app won't appear on your Home Screen until you turn it back on.

To change your Allowed Apps:

1. Go to Settings and tap Screen Time.

2. Tap Content & Privacy Restrictions.

3. Enter your Screen Time passcode.

4. Tap Allowed Apps.

5. Select the apps that you want to allow.

Prevent explicit content and content ratings

You can also prevent the playback of music with explicit content and movies or TV shows with specific ratings. Apps also have ratings that can be configured using content restrictions.

To restrict explicit content and content ratings:

1. Go to Settings and tap Screen Time.

2. Tap Content & Privacy Restrictions, then tap Content Restrictions.

3. Choose the settings that you want for each feature or setting under Allowed Store Content.

Here are the types of content that you can restrict:

Music, Podcasts, News, Fitness: Prevent the playback of music, music videos, podcasts, news, and workouts containing explicit content

Music Videos: Prevent finding and viewing music videos

Music Profiles: Prevent sharing what you're listening to with friends and seeing what they're listening to

Movies: Prevent movies with specific ratings

TV Shows: Prevent TV shows with specific ratings

Books: Prevent content with specific ratings

Apps: Prevent apps with specific ratings

App Clips: Prevent app clips with specific ratings

Prevent web content

iOS and iPadOS can automatically filter website content to limit access to adult content in Safari and other apps on your device. You can also add specific websites to an approved or blocked list, or you can limit access to only approved websites. Follow these steps:

1. Go to Settings and tap Screen Time.

2. Tap Content & Privacy Restrictions and enter your Screen Time passcode.

3. Tap Content Restrictions, then tap Web Content.

4. Choose Unrestricted Access, Limit Adult Websites, or Allowed Websites.

Depending on the access you allow, you might need to add information, like the website that you want to restrict.

Each time your child updates a device signed in with their Apple ID to iOS 17, iPadOS 17, watchOS 10, or macOS Sonoma for the first time, Web Content Restrictions is reset to Limit Adult Websites for all their devices.

Restrict Siri web search

To restrict Siri features:

1. Go to Settings and tap Screen Time.

2. Tap Content & Privacy Restrictions, then tap Content Restrictions.

3. Scroll down to Siri, then choose your settings.

You can restrict these Siri features:

Web Search Content: Prevent Siri from searching the web when you ask a question

Explicit Language: Prevent Siri from displaying explicit language

Restrict Game Center

To restrict Game Center features:

1. Go to Settings and tap Screen Time.

2. Tap Content & Privacy Restrictions, then tap Content Restrictions.

3. Scroll down to Game Center, then choose your settings.

You can restrict these Game Center features:

Multiplayer Games: Prevent the ability to play multiplayer games with everyone, allow with friends only, or allow with anyone

Adding Friends: Prevent the ability to add friends to Game Center

Connect with Friends: Prevent the ability to share a Game Center friend list with third-party games

Screen Recording: Prevent the ability to capture the screen and sound

Nearby Multiplayer: Prevent the ability to enable the nearby setting

Private Messaging: Prevent the ability to voice chat or send or receive custom messages with game and friend invitations

Profile Privacy Changes: Prevent the ability to change profile privacy settings

Avatar & Nickname Changes: Prevent the ability to change Game Center avatars and nicknames

Allow changes to privacy settings

The privacy settings on your device give you control over which apps have access to information stored on your device or the hardware features. For example, you can allow a social-networking app to request access to use the camera, which allows you to take and upload pictures.

To allow changes to privacy settings:

1. Go to Settings and tap Screen Time.

2. Tap Content & Privacy Restrictions. If asked, enter your passcode.

3. Under Privacy, tap the setting that you want to change.

Here are the things you can restrict:

Location Services: Lock the settings to allow apps and websites to use location

Contacts: Prevent apps from accessing your Contacts

Calendars: Prevent apps from accessing your Calendar

Reminders: Prevent apps from accessing your Reminders

Photos: Prevent apps from requesting access to your photos

Share My Location: Lock the settings for location sharing in Messages and Find My Friends

Bluetooth sharing: Prevent devices and apps from sharing data through Bluetooth

Microphone: Prevent apps from requesting access to your microphone

Speech Recognition: Prevent apps from accessing Speech Recognition or Dictation

Apple Advertising: Prevent changes to advertising settings

Allow Apps to Request to Track: Prevent tracking activity by apps that you've denied access to

Media & Apple Music: Prevent apps from accessing your photos, videos, or music library

Allow changes to other settings and features

You can allow changes to other settings and features, the same way you can allow changes to privacy settings.

1. Go to Settings and tap Screen Time.

2. Tap Content & Privacy Restrictions. If asked, enter your passcode.

3. Under Allow Changes, select the features or settings that you want to allow changes to and choose Allow or Don't Allow.

Here are some features and settings that you can allow changes for:

Passcode Changes: Prevent changes to your passcode

Account Changes: Prevent account changes in Accounts & Passwords

Cellular Data Changes: Prevent changes to cellular data settings

Reduce Loud Sounds: Prevent changes to volume settings for safe listening

Driving Focus: Prevent changes to the Driving Focus

TV Provider: Prevent changes to TV provider settings

Background App Activities: Prevent changes to whether or not apps run in the background

Make changes to health and safety features

Information about products not manufactured by Apple, or independent websites not controlled or tested by Apple, is provided without recommendation or endorsement. Apple assumes no responsibility with regard to the selection, performance, or use of third-party websites or products. Apple makes no representations regarding third-party website accuracy or reliability. Contact the vendor for additional information.

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Use parental controls on your child's iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch

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With Content & Privacy Restrictions in Screen Time, you can block or limit specific apps and features on your child's device. You can also restrict the settings on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch for explicit content, purchases and downloads, and privacy.

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We’re continually designing new features and parental controls to help make sure children use their devices in the ways their parents want them to.

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How parents can Address Social Media Challenges 

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How parents can Address Social Media Challenges 

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How Parents Can Address Social Media Challenges - YouTube

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How Parents Can Address Social Media Challenges

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Webinar-Selecting Quality Content for your family 

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Webinar-Selecting Quality Content for your family 

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Selecting Quality Content for Your Family - YouTube

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Selecting Quality Content for Your Family

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Find digital citizenship activities, videos and interactives. Sort by age at the top.

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Common Sense Media improves the lives of kids and families by providing independent reviews, age ratings, & other information about all types of media.

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IDEAS.TED blog about practicing digital citizenship at home

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IDEAS.TED blog about practicing digital citizenship at home

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When you give a child their first smartphone, don't send them into the digital world unprepared. Here's a look at the three-page agreement that technology executive Jennifer Zhu Scott asked her kids to sign when they got their phones, complete with some advice that adults should consider following, too.

It's become a modern rite of passage for many people. When children reach a certain age (depending on their family and culture), their parents decide that they're ready to have their own smartphone. But along with the phone comes worry on the part of most parents. Will their kids get too attached to their devices? Will they use them responsibly? Or foolishly?

A few years ago, Jennifer Zhu Scott, a technology investor based in Hong Kong, found herself in this situation when she and her husband decided to give her two daughters - one, nearly 11 and the other, 10 - their first smartphones. But unlike many parents, she knew all too well about the dangers that her kids would be facing. Her area of expertise is how large companies use people's personal data, and she's working on a platform that gives users more control.

To ensure that her daughters would steer clear of potential dangers, she adopted a strategy from her own industry: she had them sign a user agreement. (It can be viewed here.) Inspired by similar agreements that Zhu Scott found online and her own knowledge about privacy, this three-page document makes it clear that a smartphone isn't just a gadget or a toy. "A cell phone is more than a piece of technology. If used wrongly, it can be a weapon that puts your safety or future reputation at risk," it states. "You've always been a great kid, and we want to make sure that you continue making smart choices."

In a 15-point agreement - Zhu Scott made her kids initial after each point to acknowledge that they read and understood it - they had to agree to share their passwords with her, ask for permission before signing up for social media accounts, be open about harassment or strange phone calls or messages, and answer any questions about how they were using their phones. Part of the agreement is a crash course in internet privacy. It tells her daughters what we adults so often forget - that everything we put online is likely to be read, used and sold in ways that we can't begin to imagine. With that in mind, here's what she thinks every kid should know before using a smartphone for the first time

Your data is a valuable asset - so don't give it away lightly. Point #13 in the agreement reads: "I understand my personal data will be the most valuable assets when I grow up. I understand many free apps are free because they want to take and sell my personal data. I promise to check in with my parents before I download and sign into any apps." Zhu Scott explains,"When you give away your data, think about what you're getting back, not only just the benefits but also the potential damage." Free apps like Facebook, Gmail and Google come with their own price. The companies scan your posts, emails and searches in order to feed tailored advertising, content and search results back to you.

This might seem like a reasonable price to pay for a free service, but Zhu Scott warns that it's not. For starters, Facebook and Gmail make billions of dollars a year from their users' personal data. She also points out how Facebook data was used to manipulate voters via misleading targeted ads in the 2016 United States presidential elections and 2016 Brexit vote. So what you see on social media platforms is not unbiased and could even be decided by unknown third parties. This content goes on to affect our decisions and our lives, so when kids (and the rest of us) provide their data, they run the risk of allowing themselves to be controlled by the tech giants. "For our children when they grow up, if they want to be an independent person, giving away their data today will impact how much they will be living the illusion of free will," Zhu Scott says.

Flooding the internet with selfies is not a wise choice. That's because, as point #12 in the agreement reminds her kids, "everything I upload on the internet will be permanently online and in 99 percent of cases I will lose my ownership of such content." With software available today, it's very easy for other people to manipulate images and create false video footage, just from a photo, and this technology is only going to become more powerful in the future. "We have no idea what's going to happen in 10 years' time when our children grow up and what people can do with that one picture you posted online," Zhu Scott says. For that reason, she advocates being extremely conservative with what you post.

Avoid sending a text or photo that you wouldn't want forwarded to everyone in your school. "If it's digital, the chances are it's permanent," says Zhu Scott. Anyone who receives a text message can share it with others by taking a screen-shot or forwarding it, and even if you're sending only to people you trust, their phones and emails can always be hacked. And as uncomfortable as it may be, she advocates for talking frankly with your kids about never sending sexting and naked photos before they encounter the issue firsthand. "You kind of have to prepare them," she says.So point #5 reads: "I will not send or receive naked photos or any other inappropriate content. Ever. I understand that there could be serious legal consequences that could put mine and my family's future at risk."

Enlist grandparents to keep kids' phone behavior in check. Point #6 reads: "I will never search for anything that I would be embarrassed by if seen by Grandma." This was what Zhu Scott came up with after she was trying to think of an effective way to prevent her kids from following their natural curiosity too far on Google and stumbling on inappropriate or dangerous content. Because she couldn't actually look over her daughters' shoulders all the time, she tried to think of a virtual way to instill that. Her tactic seems to have worked. She reports, "My daughter, especially my younger daughter, said, "Oh my god, this is always on my mind.'"

Practice good habits and etiquette with your phone, just as you practice them in other parts of your life. Zhu Scott has her daughters agree not to text and walk, not to use their phones when they're spending time with friends and family, and not to feel obligated to respond to messages right away - "to have a life" is how the agreement puts it. And to prevent the endless scrolling syndrome that most of us have experienced, especially during those vulnerable late night and early morning hours, she asks her daughters to turn in their phones to her at 8PM every evening. If not, "before you know, you just get sucked in for hours before you go to sleep," says Zhu Scott. Leaving your phone to charge in another room, she adds, "is a way to protect your family life and your mental health." And just as it's far too tempting to open an app when we can't sleep, a phone makes it too easy to respond rashly over text - and regret it the next day (or minute). For that reason, she tells her kids to "sleep on it" before responding to a volatile text. Better yet, if you have to deal with a sticky situation, do it in person: "Never say anything via text that you wouldn't say face to face," writes Zhu Scott in the agreement.

Think before you post - how will this look to you in ten years? Zhu Scott's kids agree to point #7 which reads, "I understand that my behaviour on my phone can impact my future reputation - even in ways that I am not able to predict or see." Shehammered this point home by showing her kids photos of themselves in diapers from a decade ago. "They were like, 'Oh gross, that's really embarrassing,'" she said. "And I said, 'Well, you know, when you were that age, you didn't feel that it was embarrassing.'" The same goes for posts on social media: what might seem funny today could be mortifying in 10 or 20 years' time.

Make sure your integrity extends to your web presence. "When you're a good person, you don't bring a completely different persona online," Zhu Scott points out. Because social media is such a powerful way to distribute information, she urges her kids - and people in general - to think carefully about what they put out there. She asks: "Do you help to spread positive messages, constructive messages and well-balanced messages?"

With kids and technology, boundaries are important but so is trust. For example, Zhu Scott - because of point #2 in the agreement - has all her kids' passwords. However, she's rarely used them.

It's not too late for any of us to become responsible digital citizens. " My generation went into social media without knowing what's what, and we just went in," says Zhu Scott. But there are still ways adults can make up for lost time. "If I'm honest, I think the best advice I can give to people is to delete Facebook," she says, because of how it uses data. Or, she suggests, if you own a small business, you might just keep a Facebook page as a way to reach out to customers. "Everybody should approach Facebook as if it's Linked In," she says. "They use you in a very transactional way, and you should use them in a transactional way as well." But she believes that you shouldn't use a Facebook profile to store personal photos and that you should be cautious about what you post there and on Instagram (which is owned by Facebook). "Even if it's set as 'private,' just assume whatever you post is permanently public anyway," she warns.

And for digital citizens who are also parents, she has this advice: Please don't post photos of your kids online. "My heart aches when I see people putting their baby's pictures on Twitter," Zhu Scott says. While your child may someday decide to become a social media influencer, don't make that decision for them in advance - they also may want to be completely anonymous on the internet. "I just don't think parents should give that away before their kids can make a decision," she says.

So far, Zhu Scott thinks her user agreement with her kids has worked well. "I'm quite happy with them; both of my kids have quite a strong sense of their privacy and their data," she says. One of her daughters did violate the agreement by signing up for a TikTok account, a form of social media that she didn't foresee when she wrote it. At first Zhu Scott was scared. But when her daughter showed her her profile, she was relieved: it was private. Her younger daughter has a private Instagram (pro-tip: Zhu-Scott and her friends follow each others' kids) but never posts photos of herself there. "Why would I want to?" her daughter told her. "It's private."
Watch her TEDWomen Talk now:

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How to help your kids be responsible digital citizens, from a tech exec (and mom)

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It's become a modern rite of passage for many people. When children reach a certain age (depending on their family and culture), their parents decide that they're ready to have their own smartphone. But along with the phone comes worry on the part of most parents.

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Stop iPhones from spying on kids with this new app

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Stop iPhones from spying on kids with this new app

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Don’t Track Kids stops iPhone apps from spying on children - The Washington Post

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The Do Not Track Kids app uses cartoons of robots to teach kids about online privacy - while working behind the scenes to block trackers.

A frightening number of kids' apps are spying on them. Now parents can get some help to stop it.

A new app called Do Not Track Kids acts like a privacy shield for iPhones and iPads used by children. For $5 per month, it runs in the background of the device to block the companies that harvest personal information from children (and grown-ups too). It also contains cartoon lessons to teach kids about online privacy.
Help Desk: Technology coverage that makes tech work for you
Do Not Track Kids was made by a dad who knows a thing or two about digital snoops: former National Security Agency researcher Patrick Jackson. Today, Jackson is the chief technology officer of Disconnect, a company that also makes privacy software used to power tracking prevention in web browsers including Mozilla's Firefox and Microsoft's Edge.

Making tools specifically to help parents protect children's privacy has long been on his to-do list. Companies want kids' data such as their locations and ways to identify their phones to target them with ads, influence impressionable young minds and try to maximize their addiction to apps.

Collecting data about children under the age of 13 without parental consent is supposed to be against the law - but that law isn't very well enforced. More than two-thirds of the 1,000 most popular iPhone apps likely to be used by children send data to the ad industry, according to a recent study.

We the Users: Your kids' apps are spying on them

Do Not Track Kids works by hooking into a part of the iPhone's operating system and literally stopping the connections apps, websites and emails make to ad companies and data brokers.

"We are different from an ad blocker, in that our point is not just to block as many ads as possible," says Jackson. "We block ads that track you. And it turns out that many of the worst ads on the internet are tracking you."

For example, some parents have even found sexually inappropriate ads in apps and websites made for children.

Aren't iPhones already supposed to be private? Apple's marketing makes a fuss about the iPhone's ability to stop tracking, but its built-in defenses don't go nearly as far as Do Not Track Kids. For any parent locking down an iPhone, activating Apple's "Ask App Not To Track" setting is a worthwhile first step. But even with it on, apps still find ways to track users. Apple has said it thinks its App Store review process protects children's privacy.

A guide to giving your child their first phone

The first time you set up Do Not Track Kids, you'll have to open up the iPhone settings and give Do Not Track Kids permission to run, under General > VPN & Device Management > DNS. After you do that once, Do Not Track Kids runs in the background, though the app offers settings you can tweak to be more or less strict on blocking connections to companies including Facebook, Google, TikTok and Snapchat.

Do Not Track Kids addresses one long-running tech parenting need, but it's only a part of the larger effort to keep kids safe online. Because the app focuses on privacy, it doesn't actually collect the information kids enter into apps and websites - so parents will still have to be on the lookout for threats such as predators convincing children to share their names and addresses or the impact of too much social media.

Help Desk: Making tech work for you

Help Desk is a destination built for readers looking to better understand and take control of the technology used in everyday life.

Go deeper: Tech in Your Life | Tech at Work | Your Data and Privacy | Internet Access | What's New | Ethical Issues

Data and Privacy: A guide to every privacy setting you should change now. We have gone through thesettings for the most popular (and problematic) services to give you recommendations. Google | Amazon | Facebook | Venmo | Apple | Android

Ask a question: Send the Help Desk your personal technology questions.

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Stop iPhones from spying on kids with this new app

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A frightening number of kids' apps are spying on them. Now parents can get some help to stop it. A new app called Do Not Track Kids acts like a privacy shield for iPhones and iPads used by children.

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New research from digital board game publisher Marmalade Game Studio shows that parents' biggest worry about the rise of online gaming is focused on the amount of time children spend on games.

Its nationwide survey asked parents with children who game, to rank their biggest concerns about their child's online gaming. The results showed nearly half (45%) are concerned or very concerned about children spending too much time on games.

Findings also show:

35% are worried about online gaming affecting children's sleep.

34% are worried about children not seeing their friends due to online gaming.

30% are worried about children playing violent games.

What are the signs of gaming addiction?

Child and adolescent psychotherapist and Association of Child Psychotherapists spokesperson Ryan Lowe says one of the useful aspects of gaming addiction is that it has clear signs and symptoms.

"Children who are starting to become dependent on gaming are not keen to leave their games when called to dinner or take time to do other things. As their addiction worsens, they may become very distressed when asked to leave their games - either angry or upset," she says.

Over time, this can result in complete withdrawal from other interests, socialising, family events and other more creative or sporty interests.

Video game addiction is not fully recognised in the DSM-5, which is a manual used to classify mental disorders and aid professionals when diagnosing. However, the World Health Organization ( WHO) added "gaming disorder" to its medical reference book, International Classification of Diseases, in 2018.

The American Psychiatry Association's manual, the DSM-5, does list some of the warning signs of video game addiction, which include:

Constantly thinking about gaming.

Feeling sad or restless when they're unable to play video games.

Relying heavily on gaming to make them feel good.

Feeling unable to quit or cut down the amount of time spent gaming.

Losing interest in hobbies.

Experiencing issues at school or home because of their gaming.

Continuing to play despite being aware of these problems.

Lying to people about how much time they spend gaming.

Repeatedly turning to gaming to relieve stress or for a mood boost.

How to prevent gaming addiction

Lowe explains that the easiest way to prevent a gaming addiction is by intervening right at the start. As soon as you notice the signs of possible addiction, or your child starts acting out of character, you should address the issue, rather than presuming they will grow out of it or it will sort itself out.

"When you see these early signs, it's important to offer your time, attention and support. Often, the signs appear because the child is unhappy or anxious in other aspects of life, so they retreat to a behaviour where they feel more in control."

She adds that the key to resolving early gaming addiction is showing your child that they can manage without games while tackling the problems that are causing anxiety. You should also keep an eye on their other hobbies and interests and social interactions.

"It is important to note that you cannot do this for your child while being on your devices yourself. Of course, you may turn to the internet for advice, but you need to take time in person to support your child and help them face their worries," adds Lowe.

What are the consequences of too much screen time?

While time spent gaming can make a child feel excited and fulfilled in the moment, in the long term, it can have a detrimental impact on their well-being. Some of the consequences of gaming addictions include:

Reduced self-esteem.

Limited ability during face-to-face interactions.

Inability to address difficult situations in real time.

School grades declining.

Gaming addiction can also lead to physical health problems, such as:

Carpal tunnel syndrome can also be the result of too much time spent gaming. Carpal tunnel syndrome, which commonly affects people in their 50s or older, causes numbness, tingling, and pain in the hand and forearm. It occurs when one of the major nerves to the hand is squeezed or compressed as it travels through the wrist. It can get worse over time.

It is worth noting that gaming addiction can lead to serious isolation if not treated early. As they get older, some children might end up without friends and may feel cut off from society, leading to severe anxiety and depression. At the same time, they may be totally reliant on gaming for happiness. Video games increase tolerance to dopamine - the neurotransmitter in the brain that regulates pleasure. Therefore, when a child plays video games for hours on end, other activities do not feel as much fun, and not being able to game feels boring.

Another long-term effect of video game addiction worth considering is the financial aspect. Funding an interest such as gaming can be expensive, whether that's purchasing games, the equipment, or high-speed wifi.

How to manage gaming addiction

While forcing your child to go "cold turkey" and quit their gaming activity altogether might seem the simplest option, such a drastic measure might not be effective. In the early stages, it is more worthwhile to reduce your child's screen time slowly and offer them alternatives.

Lowe says one of the key ways you can encourage your child away from their computer games is by nurturing their other interests. This might be a sport, an artistic activity, or simply encouraging them to go out with their friends. You should also aim to make time for family outings and invite people over to keep their social interests alive, even when they might be struggling with peers.

Other ways to reduce your child's gaming time include:

Setting limits on their screen time.

Reasoning with your child and making deals (for example, allowing them to have 30 minutes of gaming time if they go for a walk with you).

Finding a new activity you can both do together and scheduling in time for it.

Keeping devices out of their bedroom (especially during the night when they are sleeping).

Trying web extensions or apps that block certain games (this can be helpful in deterring them from violent games).

Asking friends and relatives also to monitor their gaming habits while they are not at home.

Satisfying their love for gaming with offline games, such as board games like Monopoly, Cluedo or others you can play as a family.

"However, if your child is experiencing a full-blown addiction, then cutting down their time slowly might not be enough. Treating the problem will take a lot of time and effort. It may potentially require complete downtime outside of their usual environment, whether that is in a residential facility or just being somewhere with no wifi or screens," adds Lowe.

Can you get withdrawal symptoms from gaming addiction?

"It is almost certain that your child will experience withdrawal symptoms as they reduce their gaming time. These will mostly be in the form of anxiety, but could be expressed in a number of ways, such as anger, frustration, collapse, or more obvious fear," says Lowe.

She says there is no easy way to overcome these symptoms, but you should encourage your child to face the feelings they have been avoiding and suppressing while fixating on their computers.

"As a parent, you may need to find the capacity to be with your children while they're in real distress. This can be one of the hardest jobs a parent can do as you experience their pain, anguish and fear without flicking a switch to fix it. However, this might be what it takes to understand the severity of the issue and to help them get better."

You should trust that this process will be worth it and remind your child that their withdrawal is survivable, as they will reach a point - perhaps in weeks or months - where they are able to function beyond gaming.

What treatment is offered for gaming addiction?

The professional support required for gaming addiction will depend on its severity. As previously mentioned, early intervention is key, so it's important to be vigilant and address any issues before they worsen and medical intervention or addiction treatment is required. Do be careful though, to avoid making your child feel as if they are under a microscope

However, you may be able to access support from a child psychotherapist or a family therapist, who is experienced in working with parents and can help you to enforce clear boundaries. A therapist will also, importantly, help you with your own feelings of anxiety in the face of your child's distress. Gaming addiction can take a toll on family members, so you should remember that you aren't alone.

Furthermore, if the situation gets out of hand, there are residential rehabilitation centres that can break the cycle, but they are not an easy fix. The hard work will still need to be continued by yourself and your loved ones when they return home.

"I would advise against any support that is purely behavioural in approach. At the core of gaming addiction are issues relating to mood, anxiety and self-worth. These feelings need to be held, understood and processed by parents and then by your child. It would be beneficial to find professional support that understands this part of the process and not just a rules and boundaries approach," adds Lowe.

If you are concerned for your child's mental health, you can contact your GP.

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How to spot the signs of gaming addiction in children

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New research from digital board game publisher Marmalade Game Studio shows that parents' biggest worry about the rise of online gaming is focused on the amount of time children spend on games. Its nationwide survey asked parents with children who game, to rank their biggest concerns about their child's online gaming.

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Setting Up a Healthy Media Relationship With… | PBS KIDS for Parents

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Setting Up a Healthy Media Relationship With… | PBS KIDS for Parents

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Setting Up a Healthy Media Relationship With Your Child | Parenting Tips & Advice | PBS KIDS for Parents

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Navigating technology in our homes has certainly become more interesting during the COVID-19 pandemic. Here are some ideas based on how one mom chose to handle media with her 4-year-old.

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Digital Citizenship Resources for Family Engagement

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Digital Citizenship Resources for Family Engagement

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Digital Citizenship Resources for Family Engagement | Common Sense Education

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Common Sense Education provides educators and students with the resources they need to harness the power of technology for learning and life. Find a free K-12 Digital Citizenship curriculum, reviews of popular EdTech apps, and resources for protecting student privacy.

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How to Translate Websites (Mobile Version) | Cómo traducir sitios web (Version Móvil)

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Use a computer or phone to make the web easy to read. كيفية ترجمة المواقع الإلكترونية. 웹 사이트 번역 방법. Cách dịch trang web.  ድርጣቢያዎችን እንዴት መተርጎም እንደሚቻል. ویب سائٹ کا ترجمہ کیسے کریں.  如何翻译网站

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Cómo usar Google Chrome para traducir un sitio web

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Cómo usar Google Chrome para traducir un sitio web

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How to Use Google Chrome to Translate a website

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Educators Archives - Cyberbullying Research Center

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Bullying and Cyberbullying Resources, Research, and Help

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Usar los controles parentales en el iPhone, iPad y iPod touch de tus hijos

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Usar los controles parentales en el iPhone, iPad y iPod touch de tus hijos

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Usar los controles parentales en el iPhone, iPad y iPod touch de tus hijos

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Con las restricciones de contenido y privacidad que se encuentran en Tiempo en pantalla, puedes bloquear o restringir el uso de apps y funciones específicas en el dispositivo de tus hijos. También puedes restringir la configuración del contenido explícito, las compras y las descargas que incluya el iPhone, iPad o iPod touch, así como la configuración de privacidad.

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Aprender cosas sobre las llamas, leer sobre tu estrella favorita del monopatín o buscar información sobre el estegosaurio. Puedes hacer todas esas cosas en Internet y luego enviar correos electrónicos o mensaje de texto a tus mejores amigos sobre esos temas. ¡Por eso Internet es tan sorprendente! Pero también hay algunas cosas de las que debes estar pendiente cuando te conectes a Internet.

¿Quién eres en línea?

Tú siempre eres tú, por descontado. Pero, si usas un teléfono, una tableta o una computadora para jugar o chatear con tus amigos, también tienes una identidad en línea. Los juegos y sitios web te permiten crear un avatar, que te representa. Es divertido vestir a ese personaje y tal vez darle un sentido o hacer que lleve un estilo que tú nunca probarías en la escuela.

Las aplicaciones y los sitios web te permiten elegir tu propio nombre de usuario. Si quieres llamarte Rey del_Ketchup, ese será tu nuevo nombre. Pero, si te empiezas a llamar Rey del Ketchup, ¿significa eso que te encanta el ketchup? ¿Deberías informar a tus nuevos amigos en línea sobre cuánto te gusta el ketchup? Es algo que solo depende de ti, pero esto trae otro tema interesante. ¿Cuánto deberías compartir sobre tu verdadero yo en Internet?

Tal vez te gusta informar a tus mejores amigos de lo enamorado que estás de alguien, pero ¿qué pasaría si toda la escuela pudiera leer tu poema sobre lo bonitos que son los ojos de la persona que te ha robado el corazón? ¿Y si lo leyeran personas desconocidas?

Hay reglas a seguir cuando se está en línea, como las hay sobre qué hacer y qué decir en otros lugares. Es importante que aprendas las reglas para que puedas jugar y comunicarte en línea de una forma segura.

Protege tu privacidad

A cualquier persona que use Internet le piden que se registre, inicie sesión o cree un perfil. Los niños se deben poner de acuerdo con uno de sus papás u otro adulto de confianza antes de hacerlo. ¿Por qué? Esa información se podría utilizar para cosas que no les gustarían, como recibir un montón de correo basura.

Otro aviso sobre los correos electrónicos: si dispones de tu propia cuenta de correo, informa a tu mamá o a tu papá antes de responder a correos electrónicos que te pidan información personal. Algunos correos electrónicos parecen oficiales, pero, en realidad, son un truco para obtener tu información personal.

Otra forma de proteger tu privacidad consiste en elegir un nombre de usuario o de cuenta que no coincida con tu nombre real. Por ejemplo, en vez de "Jack_Smith," ¿por qué no escoger "Reydelmonopatín21"? ¡Sólo sabrán que se trata de ti tus amigos y tu familia!

Redes sociales y desconocidos

Es posible que te dejen usar el teléfono para enviar mensajes de texto o para ver vídeos. Conforme vayas creciendo, es posible que te vayan interesando cada vez más las redes sociales. Estos sitios suelen tener una restricción de edad mínima (13 años), pero muchos niños los visitan antes de cumplir 13 años.

Las redes sociales te permiten escribir, chatear, compartir fotos, jugar en línea con amigos y compartir con la gente tanta o tan poca información sobre ti mismo como desees. Pero también te permiten intercambiar información con desconocidos. Aunque pueda parecer divertido hacer amigos en línea, no te comuniques con desconocidos por Internet. No hables con ellos, no los llames ni les des tu teléfono, ni les envíes fotos donde aparezcas tú.

A un niño, actuar así le puede parecer una tontería. Te puede escribir alguien que parezca ser muy buena persona y decirte que eres muy listo y agradable. Pero, por desgracia, hay gente que ha engañado a muchos niños en línea simulando ser algo que no era en realidad. Por ejemplo, un desconocido te puede mentir diciéndote que está estudiando sexto curso a pesar de ser un adulto. Algunos niños se han encontrado en situaciones peligrosas cuando han decidido conocer en persona a su misterioso amigo en línea.

Informa a tus papás si un desconocido te envía correos electrónicos, mensajes de texto o inicia una conversación por Internet. Un adulto debe decidir qué es mejor para ti, lo que podría incluir cambiar tu dirección de correo electrónico o hablar con la policía. Por lo general, si te estás planteando la posibilidad de crear una cuenta en una red social, habla antes con tu mamá o tu papá.

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Acoso en línea

Cuando estás usando la computadora, puede ser tentador ocultarse tras un nombre de usuario para gastarle a alguien una broma a hacer ver que eres otra persona. O tal vez estas enfadado con alguien y te resulta más fácil decirle algo malo si la persona no sabe que eres tú.

Pero, al igual que en el mundo real, hacer ese tipo de cosas en línea es cruel e hiriente. Aunque solo estés bromeando, es posible que los demás no entiendan que se trata de una broma y se sientan heridos o enfadados por tus palabras. Cuando no sabes quién se está metiendo contigo, te sientes muy solo. Te puedes preguntar: ¿solo estará bromeando o me lo está diciendo en serio?

Independientemente de que se trate de un desconocido o de un amigo, la regla es: Ser amable en línea. Las escuelas, los profesores y los padres cada vez son más estrictos sobre qué está bien y qué no lo está en lo que respecta a enviar mensajes de texto por teléfono o computadora.

He aquí una buena prueba: si no lo dirías a la cara, no lo digas a través de la computadora. Y, al igual que con el acoso o bullying en la vida real, cuéntaselo a un adulto si recibes acoso en línea o sabes que a alguien lo están acosando en línea.

Reglas que debes seguir

Si eres un niño a quien le gusta divertirse y chatear con sus amigos en línea, puedes mantenerte seguro y evitar problemas, siguiendo estas reglas:

Limítate a visitar solo los sitios más seguros. Tus papás y tus profesores te pueden guiar sobre cuáles son los mejores sitios para ti. Algunos sitios tienen restricciones relacionadas con la edad, por lo que podrías caer en la tentación de mentir al respecto. Pero es más seguro decir la verdad y evitar esos sitios hasta que seas mayor.

Protege tus contraseñas. Si alguien puede iniciar sesión utilizando tu nombre de usuario, no podrás controlar lo que diga o haga. ¡Y todo el mundo pensará que eres tú! Por ese motivo, no compartas tus contraseñas con nadie, salvo tus papás.

Limita la información que compartas. No le des nunca tu dirección ni tu número de teléfono a un desconocido. Si no estás seguro de si deberías compartir algo, pregúntaselo antes a tus papás. Recuerda que todo lo que escribas o cuelgues en línea o publiques en un sitio de Internet quedará allí para siempre, incluso aunque lo intentes borrar. Si a ti no te gustaría que toda la clase sepa o vea algo, no deberías compartirlo con nadie en línea, ni siquiera con tus mejores amigos.

No seas cruel ni avergüences a nadie en línea. Al igual que tú, hay una persona detrás de cada nombre de usuario que tiene sentimientos como tú.

Cuéntalo siempre que veas una conducta extraña o malvada en línea. Informa a un adulto de inmediato si alguien te dice algo que te haga sentir incómodo. Informa también a un adulto si ves que alguien acosa o dice cosas extrañas en línea a otros niños.

Escoge bien a tus amigos en línea. Algunos sitios permiten que los niños hagan muchas amistades con gente que no conocen. Pero tener amigos en línea no es lo mismo que tener amigos en la vida real. Nunca aceptes encontrarte con un amigo en línea en persona ni le des información personal sobre ti. Es peligroso, porque algunas personas simulan ser niños en línea pero, en realidad, son adultos con muy malas intenciones.

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Hay reglas para estar en línea, como las hay acerca de qué hacer y decir en otros lugares. Es importante que aprendas las reglas para que puedas jugar de forma segura en línea.

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¿Qué es el acoso cibernético?

El acoso cibernético (o ciberacoso) consiste en utilizar la tecnología para amenazar, avergonzar, intimidar o criticar a otra persona. Amenazas en línea, textos groseros, agresivos o despectivos enviados por Twitter, comentarios publicados en internet o mensajes, todo cuenta. Y también cuenta el hecho de colgar en internet información, fotografías o vídeos de carácter personal para herir o avergonzar a otra persona.

El acoso cibernético también incluye aquellas fotografías, mensajes o páginas publicadas en internet que no se eliminan o que no dan de baja, incluso después de que se le haya pedido que lo haga a la persona que las haya publicado. En otras palabras, es todo aquello que se publica en línea con la intención de hacer daño, avergonzar o molestar a otra persona.

La intimidación o los comentarios despectivos que se centran en aspectos como el género, la religión, la orientación sexual, la raza o las diferencias físicas de las personas se consideran formas de discriminación, y van en contra de la ley en muchos estados. Esto implica que las fuerzas del orden público podrían intervenir, y los acosadores podrían tener que afrontar graves sanciones.

El acoso en línea puede ser especialmente doloroso y ofensivo porque suele ser de carácter anónimo y es muy difícil identificar al acosador. También es difícil de controlar, y la persona que lo recibe no tiene ni idea de cuántas personas (o cuántos cientos de personas) han visto los mensajes o las publicaciones. La gente puede sufrir sin parar, cada vez que consulta el teléfono o la computadora.

El acoso (o bullying) cibernético puede ser más fácil de cometer que otros tipos de acoso, porque el acosador no tiene que enfrentarse cara a cara con su víctima.

¿Cuáles son las consecuencias del ciberacoso?

A veces, recibir acoso cibernético, como cualquier otro tipo de acoso, puede conducir a problemas graves y duraderos. El estrés provocado por vivir en un constante estado de alerta y de miedo puede crear problemas en el estado de ánimo, el nivel de energía, el sueño y el apetito. También puede hacer que la víctima se sienta inquieta, ansiosa y/o triste. Si una persona ya estaba deprimida o ansiosa antes del acoso, el hecho de recibirlo puede empeorar todavía más las cosas. Los estudiantes que reciben acoso cibernético pueden tener dificultades para concentrarse en la escuela, lo que puede afectar negativamente a su rendimiento académico.

No solo es la persona acosada quien sufre. El castigo que reciben los acosadores cibernéticos puede llegar a ser importante. Cada vez hay más centros de estudios y de actividades extraescolares que crean sistemas para responder al acoso cibernético. Hay centros de enseñanza que expulsan a los acosadores de los equipos deportivos e, incluso, del centro. Hay algunos tipos de acoso cibernético que violan los códigos de los centros de estudio y/o que incluso incumplen las leyes contra la discriminación o contra el acoso sexual. Por lo tanto, el acosador puede tener que afrontar importantes problemas legales.

¿Por qué lo hace la gente?

¿Por qué la gente comete acoso cibernético? Probablemente hay tantas razones como acosadores.

A veces, lo que parece ser acoso cibernético puede ocurrir de forma accidental. El carácter impersonal de los mensajes de texto, los comentarios que se publican y otras formas de comunicación en línea pueden hacer difícil distinguir entre un chiste y algo que no lo es.

De todos modos, la mayoría de la gente sabe cuándo la están acosando, porque el acoso implica el uso de amenazas y/o insultos repetidos. La gente que acosa en línea sabe que se ha pasado de la raya. No se trata de una broma o de un insulto de carácter aislado, sino de insultos y/o de amenazas constantes que van más allá del típico pique o comentario desagradable como resultado de un enfado puntual.

¿Qué puedo hacer si recibo acoso cibernético?

A veces la gente tiene miedo o no está segura de si la están acosando. Y no hace nada para detenerlo. Si te están acosando, si alguien se está metiendo contigo utilizando comentarios hirientes o si conoces a alguien que está siendo objeto de este tipo de comportamiento, no hay ningún motivo para sufrirlo en silencio. De hecho, deberías informar sobre cualquier mensaje de texto, publicación o correo electrónico de carácter ofensivo que recibas o leas.

Explícaselo a alguien. La mayoría de expertos coinciden en lo siguiente: Lo primero que se debe hacer es contárselo a un adulto de confianza. Es algo que suele resultar más fácil de decir que de hacer. La gente acosada es posible que se sienta avergonzada o que tenga reticencias a informar sobre el acoso. Algunas personas dudan porque no están seguras al 100% sobre de quién se podría tratar. Pero el acoso puede ir a peor, de modo que explica lo que te ocurre hasta que encuentres a alguien que te pueda ayudar. A veces, la policía puede identificar a acosadores anónimos en línea, de modo que suele merecer la pena informarla.

La mayoría de los padres están tan preocupados por proteger a sus hijos que a veces se centran en tomar medidas preventivas drásticas para cortar de lleno con el acoso. Si alguien te está acosando y temes perder tus privilegios para utilizar el teléfono o conectarte a internet, explica lo que temes a tus padres. Explícales lo importante que es para ti estar conectado y colabora con ellos hasta que encuentren una solución que no suponga ningún castigo para ti. También deberías negociar con ellos sobre el uso seguro del teléfono y de la computadora; lo más importante es empezar por mantener el acoso cibernético bajo control.

También puedes hablar con tu orientador escolar o con el psicólogo de tu centro de estudios, un profesor de confianza o un miembro de tu familia. Si el acoso cibernético te está hundiendo anímicamente (si está afectando a tu sueño o a tu concentración), la terapia psicológica te puede ayudar. Si no te sientes preparado para acudir a un profesional de la salud mental, busca apoyo en un adulto de confianza.

Aléjate. Lo que funciona con el acoso en persona, propio del mundo real, también funciona con el acoso cibernético, propio del mundo virtual. Ignorar al acosador es la mejor forma de extraerle su poder, aunque no siempre sea fácil hacerlo (tanto en el mundo real como en el virtual).

Si alguien te está molestando, prueba a no conectarte a la computadora o a apagar el teléfono durante un rato. No contestes, y no reenvíes nunca el mensaje del acosador a otra persona. Encuentra algo para desconectarte de lo que te está ocurriendo y distraerte. Haz algo que te apasione y que te impida pensar en lo que te está pasando, como tocar la guitarra, salir a correr, o perderte en un buen libro o una buena película. También puedes conversar con uno de tus padres o con tu hermano o jugar con tu mascota.

Hacer este tipo de pausas para desconectar te ayudará a relativizar las cosas y a centrarte en lo bueno de la vida. También te dará algo más de tiempo para averiguar cómo quieres llevar las cosas.

No caigas en la tentación de responder o de contraatacar. Si te alejas y te tomas un respiro ante el acoso cibernético, no te dejarás llevar por la tentación de contraatacar y enzarzarte en una pelea virtual con el acosador o los acosadores. Responder cuando uno se siente ofendido puede empeorar todavía más las cosas. (Plantarle cara al acosador puede funcionar en algunas ocasiones, pero lo más probable es que el acosador se sienta provocado e intensifique el acoso). Si haces una pausa para desconectar y te tomas un respiro, ¡recuperarás de nuevo tu poder!

Aunque no sea una buena idea responder al acosador, es conveniente guardar las pruebas del acoso. Te podrán ayudar a demostrar el acoso, en caso necesario. No hace falta que conserves correos electrónicos agresivos u otro tipo de comunicados en un lugar donde los veas constantemente; puedes pedir a uno de tus padres que haga una copia y los guarde en un pen drive.

Informa sobre el acoso. Las redes sociales se lo toman muy en serio cuando la gente utiliza sus servicios para publicar mensajes o contenidos crueles o despectivos o para crear cuentas falsas. Si un usuario informa sobre un uso incorrecto, como el acoso, el administrador del sitio puede bloquear al acosador, impidiéndole utilizar el servicio en el futuro. Si te están acosando mediante mensajes de móvil y/o de correo electrónico, informa al servicio telefónico o al administrador de correo electrónico (como Comcast, Google y Verizon).

Bloquea al acosador. La mayoría de los dispositivos electrónicos e informáticos disponen de funciones que permiten bloquear electrónicamente al acosador o a los acosadores. Si no sabes cómo utilizar esta función, pregúntaselo a un amigo o a un adulto.

Mantén la seguridad en línea. Protege mediante contraseña tu teléfono inteligente y tus cuentas de internet, y cambia a menudo las contraseñas. Asegúrate de no compartir tus contraseñas con nadie más que tus padres o tutores. También es conveniente pensárselo bien antes de compartir por internet información personal, fotos o videos, que no te interesa que lleguen a todo el mundo. Una vez se publica una foto o un menaje en línea, puede ser difícil o imposible de borrar. Por lo tanto, sé cauto publiques fotos o respondas a los mensajes ofensivos de otras personas.

Si el acosador es amigo tuyo

Si tienes un amigo que sabes que está actuando como un acosador cibernético, reúnete con él a solas para hablar. Sin hacerle de menos, defiende tus principios: hazle saber que lo que está haciendo no es correcto.

Explícale que el acoso puede tener graves consecuencias: para el acosador, la víctima del acoso e, incluso, para los testigos, entre quienes te incluyes tú y tus amigos.

Puedes leer más cosas sobre cómo detener el acoso en Stopbullying.gov (Frenar el acoso).

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El acoso cibernético (o ciberacoso) consiste en utilizar la tecnología para amenazar, avergonzar, intimidar o criticar a otra persona.

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¿Qué es el acoso cibernético?

El acoso cibernético (o ciberacoso) consiste en utilizar la tecnología para amenazar, avergonzar, intimidar o criticar a otra persona. Ocurre a través de dispositivos como los teléfonos inteligentes (o smartphones), las computadoras, las tabletas y las consolas de videojuegos. El acoso cibernético daña a la gente y, en algunos casos, va en contra de la ley.

A veces el acoso cibernético es fácil de detectar; por ejemplo, su hijo le puede enseñar un mensaje de texto, una publicación o un comentario que sea violento, cruel o claramente malintencionado. Hay otras formas de acoso que son menos evidentes, como colgar información personal en internet, o usar fotos o vídeos para avergonzar o herir a otra persona. Alguien se puede crear cuentas o nombres de usuario falsos con la única intención de acosar, para que no se pueda saber quién es el acosador.

¿Cuáles son los efectos del acoso cibernético?

Los niños tienen un acceso casi constante a los dispositivos electrónicos, lo que hace que les resulte difícil escapar del acoso cibernético. Los niños que son víctimas del acoso pueden tener la sensación de que no se pueden desconectar nunca y sienten mucho sus efectos.

Los niños que reciben acoso cibernético pueden tener dificultades para concentrarse en la escuela, lo que puede afectar negativamente a su rendimiento académico. El acoso cibernético frecuente, intenso o de larga duración puede exponer, tanto a sus víctimas como a los acosadores, a un mayor riesgo de desarrollar ansiedad, depresión, u otros trastornos relacionados con el estrés. En casos muy poco frecuentes, algunos niños han acabado recurriendo al suicidio, sea solo intentándolo o llegando a acabar con sus vidas.

Los castigos que reciben los acosadores cibernéticos en sus centros de estudio pueden incluir la expulsión del mismo centro o del equipo deportivo. Dependiendo de la gravedad del acoso cibernético, los niños también pueden tener problemas con la ley.

¿Cuáles son los signos de que se está recibiendo acoso cibernético?

Muchos niños y adolescentes que son víctimas del acoso cibernético se resisten a explicárselo a sus profesores, padres u otros adultos de confianza, a menudo porque les avergüenza o porque temen que les retiren el privilegio de usar los dispositivos electrónicos en casa.

Entre los signos de que un niño puede estar recibiendo acoso cibernético, se incluyen los siguientes:

estar angustiado o alterado emocionalmente mientras se usa internet o el móvil

mantener en secreto o muy en privado su vida digital

pasar más tiempo que de costumbre en su dormitorio

mantenerse apartado y alejado de sus familiares, amistades y de las actividades sociales

evitar la escuela o las reuniones grupales

sacar peores notas y portarse mal en casa

presentar cambios de humor, en el comportamiento, el sueño o el apetito.

querer dejar de usar, de forma repentina, el móvil u otro dispositivo

ponerse nervioso o muy inquieto al recibir mensajes, textos o correos electrónicos

evitar hablar sobre lo que hace con la computadora o el móvil

¿Cómo pueden ayudar los padres?

Si su hijo está siendo víctima del acoso cibernético,

Apóyelo y anímelo. Hablar con su hijo sobre experiencias de acoso que usted tuvo cuando era niño le puede ayudar a no sentirse tan solo.

Hágale saber que no es culpa suya. El acoso dice mucho más sobre el acosador que sobre quien lo recibe. Felicite a su hijo por hacer lo correcto: hablar con usted sobre el acoso que recibe. Recuérdele que no está solo. Asegure a su hijo que los dos juntos averiguarán la mejor forma de hacer frente al acoso.

Informe al centro de estudios de su hijo. Informe al director, la enfermería, el orientador o un profesor del centro de estudios de su hijo sobre la situación. Hay muchas escuelas, distritos escolares y clubs de actividades extraescolares que disponen de reglas para responder al acoso. Estos protocolos pueden variar entre los distintos distritos y estados. Pero, antes de informar sobre el problema, haga que su hijo sepa qué es lo que piensa hacer, a fin de poder elaborar un plan con el que ambos se sientan cómodos.

Insista a su hijo en que no responda al ciberacoso. Responder al acoso solo empeoraría la situación.

Guarde las pruebas. Conserven los pantallazos sobre mensajes, fotografías y textos amenazantes. Estos se podrán usar como pruebas ante los padres del acosador, la escuela, una empresa o, incluso, la policía.

Busque ayuda. Si su hijo está de acuerdo, visitar a un terapeuta lo puede ayudar a gestionar sus emociones. Un terapeuta o un orientador escolar puede actuar a modo de mediador en el centro de estudios de su hijo, sea solo con su hijo o junto con el acosador.

Otras posibles medidas a adoptar para prevenir futuros episodios de ciberacoso son las siguientes:

Bloquee al acosador. La mayoría de los dispositivos electrónicos e informáticos disponen de funciones que permiten bloquear correos electrónicos, mensajes SMS o textos procedentes de personas concretas.

Limite el acceso de su hijo a la tecnología. Por mucho que les duela, muchos niños y chicos que son víctimas del acoso cibernético no pueden resistirse a la tentación de entrar en la web o de mirar el teléfono para saber si han recibido nuevos mensajes. Coloque la computadora en un espacio público de la casa y fije límites sobre el uso del teléfono móvil y los videojuegos. Tal vez pueda desconectar el servicio de mensajes de texto durante ciertas horas del día; además, en la mayoría de sitios web, aplicaciones y teléfonos inteligentes, se pueden instalar controles parentales que permiten a los padres acceder los mensajes de sus hijos y a su vida digital.

Considere la posibilidad de monitorizar el uso de las redes sociales por parte de su hijo. Existen programas y aplicaciones que permiten monitorizar las cuentas de las redes sociales e informar a los padres sobre el lenguaje inapropiado o las fotografías inapropiadas por parte de sus hijos. Algunos de ellos proporcionan informes detallados sobre el historial de búsqueda de los usuarios e indican a los padres cuánto tiempo se pasan sus hijos en línea y en cada sitio. Tenga en cuenta la edad de su hijo y su comportamiento digital a la hora de decidir si debe monitorizar sus dispositivos. Entonces, si opta por monitorizar el uso de las redes sociales por partes de su hijo, hable con él y explíquele por qué es importante.

Conozca los sitios de internet que visita su hijo. Esta es su oportunidad para animar a su hijo a enseñarle sobre algo que él conoce de maravilla: ¡la tecnología! Así, le mostrará que le interesa saber cómo pasa el tiempo en internet, y también lo ayudará a entender cómo supervisar mejor su seguridad en línea.

Forme parte del mundo en línea de su hijo. Hágase "amigo" o "seguidor" de su hijo en las redes sociales, pero no abuse de ese privilegio comentando todo lo que publique su hijo. Compruebe lo que su hijo publica en internet y las páginas web que visita, y sepa cómo pasa el tiempo cuando está en línea.

Póngalo por escrito. Elaboren contratos sobre el uso del teléfono móvil y de las redes sociales por parte de su hijo que él esté dispuesto a cumplir.

¿Qué más debería saber?

¿Y si quien está actuando de una forma inapropiada es su hijo? Aunque eso puede ser un disgusto para usted, es importante afrontar el problema de cara en vez de esperar a que desparezca por sí solo. Independientemente de cuál sea la causa del acoso, dígale a su hijo que es inaceptable. Establezca y aplique consecuencias si el acoso prosigue. De ser necesario, hable con los profesores, orientadores escolares u otro tipo de personal del centro de estudios de su hijo que le podrían ayudar.

Y no se olvide de dar un buen ejemplo a su hijo. Ayúdele a entender las ventajas y los peligros de la vida en el mundo digital. Si usted no se altera ni usa palabras groseras en sus publicaciones o comentarios, será menos probable que lo haga su hijo. Hable con su hijo sobre maneras educadas y saludable de responder (o no) cuando no se está de acuerdo con otra persona.

Puede aprender más cosas sobre cómo detener el acoso en Stopbullying.gov (Frenar el acoso).

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El acoso cibernético (o ciberacoso) consiste en utilizar la tecnología para amenazar, avergonzar, intimidar o criticar a otra persona. He aquí algunas sugerencias sobre qué hacer si el acoso en línea es parte de la vida de su hijo.

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Enseñarles a los niños a usar los medios de comunicación social

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Enseñarles a los niños a usar los medios de comunicación social

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La mayoría de los adolescentes usan algún tipo de medio social digital y tienen un perfil en una red social. Muchos de ellos visitan estas redes cada día.

Hay muchas cosas buenas en los medios sociales digitales, pero también hay riesgos y cosas que los niños y adolescentes deben evitar. No siempre toman buenas decisiones cuando publican algo, lo que les puede generar problemas.

Por lo tanto, es importante que hable con su hijo sobre cómo usar los medios sociales digitales de una forma inteligente.

Lo bueno de los medios sociales digitales

Los medios sociales digitales pueden ayudar a los niños a:

mantenerse conectados con sus amigos y parientes

participar como voluntarios o involucrarse en campañas u organizaciones sin fines de lucro o caritativas

estimular su creatividad mediante el intercambio de ideas, música y obras de arte

conocer y relacionarse con personas de intereses similares

comunicarse con sus profesores y compañeros de estudios

Lo malo de los medios sociales digitales

La parte negativa de los medios sociales digitales es que son lugares propicios para cosas como el acoso cibernético y otras actividades cuestionables. Sin querer, los niños pueden compartir más cosas en Internet de las que deberían compartir.

La mayoría de los adolescentes:

publican fotos personales en Internet o usan sus nombres reales en sus perfiles

revelan su fecha de nacimiento y sus intereses

publican el nombre de su escuela y de la ciudad donde viven.

Esto los convierte en blancos fáciles para los depredadores en línea y para otras personas que los podrían acechar y hacerles daño.

De hecho, muchos adolescentes afirman:

haber entrado en contacto con desconocidos que les hicieron pasar miedo o sentirse incómodos

haber recibido anuncios inadecuados para su edad

haber mentido sobre su edad para poder acceder a ciertos sitios web

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Preocupaciones y consecuencias

Aparte del acoso cibernético (o ciberacoso) y de los depredadores en línea, existe la posibilidad de que los niños afronten el peligro de encontrarse físicamente con personas inadecuadas. Ahora hay muchas aplicaciones que revelan automáticamente la ubicación de la persona cuando las usa. Así, cualquier persona puede saber con exactitud dónde se encuentra la persona que está usando la aplicación.

Y las fotos, los vídeos y los comentarios que se hacen por en Internet no se suelen poder recuperar una vez se han publicado. Aunque un adolescente crea haberlos borrado, es imposible borrarlos completamente de Internet.

La publicación de una fotografía inapropiada puede dañar la reputación del usuario y causarle problemas más adelante, como cuando un posible jefe o el encargado de hacer las admisiones universitarias haga una búsqueda de sus antecedentes en línea. Enviar un texto con mala intención o una broma puede hacer daño a otras personas e, incluso, ser tomado como una amenaza.

Pasar mucho tiempo en los medios de sociales digitales también puede ser deprimente. Ver que otras personas tienen muchos "amigos" y contemplar sus fotografías pasándoselo bien puede hacer que algunos niños se sienten mal consigo mismos o crean que no están a la altura de sus compañeros.

¿Qué pueden hacer los padres?

Es importante saber lo que hace su hijo en Internet. Pero, espiar a su hijo puede distanciarlo de usted y dañar la confianza que han construido entre ambos. La clave consiste en estar involucrado de tal modo que su hijo entienda que usted respeta su intimidad pero, al mismo tiempo, necesita estar seguro de que no está en peligro.

Dígale que es importante:

Ser agradable. Ser malo y cruel no está bien. Aclárele a su hijo que usted espera que él trate a otras personas con respeto, y que no publique nunca mensajes hirientes o que dejen en ridículo a otras personas. Y pídale que se lo diga si hay alguien que lo acosa o que publica mensajes negativos sobre él.

Pensárselo dos veces antes de pulsar la tecla de "intro". Por ejemplo, dejar que todo el mundo sepa que se van de vacaciones o facilitar el domicilio en Internet da a los ladrones la oportunidad de actuar. Los adolescentes también deben evitar publicar la ubicación específica de fiestas o celebraciones, así como sus números de teléfono.

Seguir la regla de preguntarse si le gustaría a su abuela. Explíquele a su hijo que no debería compartir nada en los medios sociales digitales que no quiera que lo vean sus profesores, el personal de admisiones de la universidad, sus posibles futuros jefes ni, por descontado, su abuela.

Usar la configuración de privacidad. La configuración de privacidad es importante. Revísenla los dos juntos para asegurarse de que su hijo la entiende. Así mismo, explíquele que las contraseñas existen para protegerlo de cosas como el robo de su identidad. Nunca las debería compartir con nadie, ni tan siquiera con un novio, novia o mejor amigo.

No hacerse "amigo" de desconocidos. "Si no conoces a alguien, no lo aceptes como amigo". Esta es una norma de cabecera sencilla, básica y segura.

Hagan un contrato

Considere la posibilidad de hacer un "contrato de medios sociales digitales" con su hijo, un contrato real que ambos firmarán. En él, su hijo se comprometerá a proteger su intimidad y su privacidad, a considerar su reputación y a no publicar información personal. También se comprometerá a no usar la tecnología para herir a otras personas a través del chisme o del acoso.

A cambio, usted, en calidad de madre o de padre, se comprometerá a respetar la intimidad de su hijo, al tiempo que se esfuerza en formar parte del mundo de los medios sociales digitales. Esto significa que usted puede ser "amigo" de su hijo, pero no puede publicar comentarios que lo avergüencen o regañinas sobre lo desordenado que tiene su dormitorio.

Los padres también pueden ayudar a que sus hijos sigan con los pies en la tierra, poniéndoles límites al uso de los medios sociales digitales. Coloque la computadora en un área de uso común, evite el uso de computadoras portátiles y de teléfonos inteligentes en el dormitorio, y establezca normas sobre el uso de la tecnología (como, no usar ningún dispositivo a hora de la cena).

Y recuerde: dar un buen ejemplo con su propio comportamiento virtual puede hacer grandes cosas para que sus hijos usen los medios sociales digitales de una forma inteligente y segura.

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Enseñarles a los niños a usar los medios de comunicación social

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La mayoría de los adolescentes usan algún tipo de medio social digital y tienen un perfil en una red social. Muchos de ellos visitan estas redes cada día. Hay muchas cosas buenas en los medios sociales digitales, pero también hay riesgos y cosas que los niños y adolescentes deben evitar.

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A Handbook for Raising Kids in the Digital Age

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A Handbook for Raising Kids in the Digital Age

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Resources + Partners - Safe Community Coalition

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Resources + Partners - Safe Community Coalition

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The Safe Community Coalition has hosted critical presentations on anxiety, stress, teen depression, resilience, dating abuse, drug and alcohol prevention, safe technology use, positive discipline, and parenting. We work with a Youth Advisory Council in middle schools, and hold a variety of school- and community-based events. The SCC's community meetings

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These days, kids have easy access to hundreds of TV stations and millions of Internet sites. And they can buy or download countless video games and apps. There's a lot of media out there, and some of it might not be appropriate for your child, depending on his or her age and maturity level.

The best way to monitor media that kids use is to experience the media yourself. Test apps and play games before your kids use them. View and play apps and games together with your children. And watch what they watch so you can talk about what they're seeing on their screens. You know your kids best, so you're the best judge of what they can handle.

When closer monitoring and more control are needed, parents have a number of ways to keep track of the media their kids watch, play, and use. These tools may not shield kids from all inappropriate material, but they can help.

Internet Activity

To help filter your kids' Internet use, start by setting up iOS and Android profiles for your kids on all the online devices they will use (smartphones, tablets, and computers). This will let you restrict all the apps and games they can download and play, and all the websites they can visit. You also can set time limits on their Internet use.

Also, most of the big email providers, such as Google and Yahoo, allow parents to create child email accounts for younger kids. These accounts can forward all their emails to you and let you monitor their contacts and communications. Kids must be at least 13 before they can have Google or Yahoo accounts of their own.

Social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram also require kids to be at least 13 before they can have their own accounts. To keep an eye on your child's social media activity, set up accounts of your own and check your child's pages and activity for yourself. Many parents also insist on knowing the passwords to their kids' accounts, although some parents may consider this an invasion of privacy.

A number of programs and apps can monitor teens' social media accounts and alert parents to any inappropriate language or photos. Many software programs and apps are available - from free to expensive - that can give you detailed reports of your child's browsing history and tell you how much time your child spent online and on each site.

But no amount of monitoring can protect kids from everything. So encourage your child to be a responsible Internet user by being a good role model and talking to your child about online safety.

If any problems - such as cyberbullying or sexting - come up, use them as teaching moments to help kids understand the importance of protecting themselves and their reputation online.

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TV Ratings and the V-Chip

Two ways you can help monitor what your kids watch are TV Parental Guidelines and V-chip.

TV Parental Guidelines. Modeled after the movie rating system, this is an age-group rating system developed for TV programs. These ratings are listed in television guides, TV listings in your local newspaper, and on the screen in your cable program guide. They also appear in the upper left corner of the screen during the first 15 seconds of TV programs.

But not all channels offer the rating system. For those that do, the ratings are:

1. TV-Y: suitable for all children

2. TV-Y7: directed toward kids 7 years and older (kids who are able to distinguish between make-believe and reality); may contain "mild fantasy violence or comedic violence" that may scare younger kids

3. TV-Y7-FV: fantasy violence may be more intense in these programs than others in the TV-Y7 rating

4. TV-G: suitable for a general audience; not directed specifically toward kids, but contains little to no violence, sexual dialogue or content, or strong language

5. TV-PG: parental guidance suggested; may contain an inappropriate theme for younger kids and contains one or more of the following: moderate violence (V), some sexual situations (S), occasional strong language (L), and some suggestive dialogue (D)

6. TV-14: parents strongly cautioned - not recommended for kids younger than 14; contains one or more of the following: intense violence (V), intense sexual situations (S), strong language (L), and intensely suggestive dialogue

7. TV-MA: designed for adults and may be unsuitable for kids under 17; contains one or more of the following: graphic violence (V), strong sexual activity (S), and/or crude language (L)

V-chip (V is for "violence"). This technology lets you block TV programs and movies you don't want your kids to see. All new TV sets that have screens of 13" or more now have internal V-chips, and set-top boxes are available for TVs made before 2000. The V-chip allows you to program your TV to display only appropriately rated shows - blocking out other, more mature shows.

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) requires that V-chips in new TVs recognize the TV Parental Guidelines and the age-group rating system and block those programs that don't adhere to these standards.

The rating system and V-chip can be valuable tools, but they can also cause problems. Research shows that preteen and teen boys are more likely to want to see a program if it's rated MA (mature audience) than if it's PG (parental guidance suggested).

Also, broadcast news, sports, and commercials aren't rated, although they often include depictions of violence and sexuality. So even with the V-chip and ratings, it's still important to preview shows to see whether they're OK for your kids - and to turn off the TV if they're not.

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Video Game and App Ratings

Some apps and almost all video games available for purchase (through retail channels or by downloading) are rated by the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB). The ESRB has six rating categories:

1. C (for Early Childhood): content is intended for young children

2. E (for Everyone): content is generally suitable for all ages. May contain minimal cartoon, fantasy, or mild violence; and/or infrequent use of mild language.

3. E-10+ (for Everyone 10+): content is generally suitable for ages 10 and up. May contain more cartoon, fantasy, or mild violence; mild language; and/or minimal suggestive themes.

4. T (for Teen): content is generally suitable for ages 13 and up. May contain violence, suggestive themes, crude humor, minimal blood, simulated gambling, and/or infrequent use of strong language.

5. M (for Mature): content is generally suitable for ages 17 and up. May contain intense violence, blood and gore, sexual content, and/or strong language.

6. A (for Adult Only): content suitable only for adults ages 18 and up. May include prolonged scenes of intense violence, graphic sexual content, and/or gambling with real currency.

The ESRB also has a long list of content descriptors to help explain why a game or app got the rating it did. Examples include things like nudity, blood, strong language, use of alcohol, and use of drugs.

The iTunes Store has its own rating system for apps that is based on age. The categories are:

Internet monitoring, V-chips, and ratings can help shield kids from inappropriate material, but they can't block everything. As a parent, even if you program the V-chip and only buy or download age-appropriate games and apps, it's still important for you to pay attention to what your kids are watching or playing. Parents should think of themselves as their child's media coach, someone who can talk about and help them understand what they're seeing.

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These days, kids have easy access to hundreds of TV stations and millions of Internet sites. And they can buy or download countless video games and apps. There's a lot of media out there, and some of it might not be appropriate for your child, depending on his or her age and maturity level.

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and optional kid-sized clipboard with 4-color pen

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A great reminder for kids (and maybe some adults!) about how to use social media responsibly. :og

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A Guide to Modern Tech Safety for Kids and Teens

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A Guide to Modern Tech Safety for Kids and Teens

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Modern kids and teens are spending more time online than ever before.

A recent study found that teenagers currently spend more than eight and a half hours a day online outside of school, and younger children average five hours of screen time each day. So much of our children's world is online nowadays, so it is vital that they know how to navigate the internet safely.

New tech also presents new challenges. Tablets, iPads, and some wearable tech bring unique risks that parents must be aware of before allowing their children access to this technology.

In this article, we will give you a rundown of the state of the internet today, and dive into the potential threats your child may face online.

How Kids and Teens Are Using Tech

Understanding the way your kid uses their devices is the first step to protecting them online.

Tablets and iPads

In essence, tablet computers have an operating system very similar to smartphones, with the same mobility, but more processing power. However, tablets tend to rely on wi-fi connectivity versus data usage, therefore accessibility to the internet and apps is a possibility, opening up the risk of dangerous content.

Computers

Desktop computers and laptops will be commonplace as your child advances through school. Many modern kids and teenagers use their computers largely for academics and video gaming. It's important to be aware of the risks that come with using a computer at school.

Managing Your Child's Screen Time

The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychology recommends that children over the age of six maintain healthy boundaries around screen time and minimize non-educational screen usage as much as possible, and that screen time be limited for young children under the age of five. Extended screen time can lead to mood swings, disrupted sleep, and withdrawal from family and friends.

High quality educational apps and services can help encourage your child's love for learning. Your local library may even have ebook and audiobook rental apps that you can use for free! Proactively setting limits on screen time can help your child maintain healthy boundaries as they mature and avoid technology addiction.

Popular Apps Your Child May Be Using

These are some of the most common social media apps your child may be using.

TikTok

TikTok is a video-sharing app that is hugely popular among teens and kids. On TikTok, users can create short videos that range from fifteen seconds to three minutes long. The app has been criticized for being "addictive," as its finely-tuned algorithm aims to get users watching for as long as possible. TikTok also has harmful content and child grooming, making it unsafe for children.

Instagram

Instagram is a photo-sharing app that also has video capability. Owned by Meta, this network allows users to post selfies, landscapes, and any other photo they want to share. As of 2023, it was the most popular app for influencers. Instagram contributes to body dissatisfaction and unhealthy social comparisons.

BeReal

BeReal is a real-time photo sharing app that encourages its users to post unfiltered photos of themselves alongside what is in front of them once a day. The aim of this app is to "show unfiltered moments" and create a more authentic news feed than other social media apps. It can lead to an unhealthy focus on screens, rather than what is happening around a child.

Snapchat

Snapchat is a photo-messaging app that automatically deletes messages once they have been read. Many teens use it as a form of texting, carrying on regular conversations, and maintaining daily snap streaks by sending and opening "snaps" with each other at least once a day. Snapchat's security, though, is lacking - and may leave your child at risk. Snapchat is also known for facilitating cyberbullying.

Cyberbullying

When navigating the online world, your child may encounter cyberbullying. It is imperative that you are educated on the signs of cyberbullying and know how to protect your child from online bullies. Cyberbullying can take many forms, and can be easy to hide - so you need to know what to look for.

What Is Cyberbullying?

Cyberbullying is a form of bullying that takes place entirely online. Cyberbullying can happen in message rooms, on social media, in video games, and direct communications. The aim of cyberbullies is to make their victim feel ashamed, scared, or ostracized from their social group.

The cyberbullies may send abusive or threatening messages directly to their victim, or spread rumors about them on social media. They may post embarrassing or private photos of their victim and encourage others to leave hurtful comments. They may also "catfish" their victim, where they pretend to be another person in order to get close to somebody; conversely, they may use their victim's photos to impersonate them online and make them look bad.

Though cyberbullying looks different from case to case, any form of online harassment can be considered cyberbullying. Online bullying is unfortunately common among modern kids and teens, and often accompanies real-life bullying. However, unlike in-person bullying, cyberbullying leaves a written record of what's happened.

Signs Your Child is Being Cyberbullied

Though cyberbullying can sometimes fly under a parent's radar, there are some telltale symptoms that your child may be facing online harassment.

If your child seems overly sensitive to change, experiences mood swings, or becomes extremely protective of their phones or devices, these may be signs that cyberbullying is affecting them. Being the victim of a cyberbullying campaign can cause children to withdraw from their daily lives, internalizing the message that their bullies pass along.

How to Prevent Cyberbullying

Though there aren't many surefire ways to prevent cyberbullying, you can lower the chances that it will happen to your child. Being cognizant of your child's internet activity and staying involved in their online endeavors, especially while they're young, can help you spot the signs of harassment early.

Emphasize that your child should only talk to people they know in real life while online. Make sure your child knows how to adjust their privacy settings, how to report harmful comments, and when to log off and walk away.

How to Address Cyberbullying

It's important to respond once cyberbullying has happened. First, make sure your child knows that you are there to help them. Tell your child that you appreciate them coming to you and are going to help. It is imperative that your child feels safe and protected during this ordeal.

If the cyberbullying is happening on social media, show your child how to block and report the bullies' accounts. Also walk through their privacy settings to make sure their posts are only viewable by friends. If the bullying is severe, it's possible law enforcement might need to get involved. You may encourage your child to simply leave social media for some time.

If the cyberbullying is being perpetrated by kids your child knows in real life, alert their parents to the cyberbullying as well. You may want to loop in the school administration in order to discuss the bullying and work together to find a solution.

Protecting Your Child from Online Predators

It's an uncomfortable truth that there are people online who may try to harm your child. Whether the person is a bully, a doxxer, or a predator, children must be taught to be vigilant about their online safety.
What Not to Share Online
Have frequent conversations with your child about information that they should never share online, especially to a stranger. This information includes:

● Their home address

● Their school

● Passwords

● Their phone number

● Driver's license number

● Their parent's full names

Explain to your child why it's important to keep this information confidential, even if they think they can trust someone they met online. Teach them the signs of an online predator, and encourage them to trust any "gut feelings" they get about people online.

Maintaining Location Privacy

Walk through the location settings of all your child's apps, and show them how to ensure their location is off at all times. Also emphasize the importance of not giving out information about where they live to strangers.

What to Do if Your Child is Approached Online

Parents can help prepare children to begin to recognize online predators. Have a thorough conversation with your child about "tricky people," and how some people may try to gain their trust only to hurt them later on.

Regardless of the platform, block and report the person who is approaching your child. Be aware of which app or website your child was approached on, and keep an eye out for patterns of inappropriate behavior on those sites.

When children know that they can come to you with uncomfortable worries and problems they encounter online, they are more likely to ask for help. Parents can create safe spaces for their children to disclose anything that makes them feel uneasy.

Protecting Your Child from Adult Content

Adult content is readily available on all corners of the internet, from graphic and disturbing videos, to sexual content. If not protected, your child may come across a piece of media that they are not mature enough to understand.

Utilizing parental controls on your child's devices may help keep your child from seeing harmful content. You can block whole apps and websites, and set ratings limits on the games they can download and videos they can buy. Unfortunately, most parental control software is easily bypassed and ineffective.

When your child does come across adult content, be ready to have an open and honest conversation about what they've seen and how to process it.

What the Future of Tech Holds for Kids and Teens

The technology world is constantly innovating, with new devices and programs coming out every year. One exciting development is the adoption of new tech in education curriculums, with digital literacy becoming a cornerstone of modern education standards. Your child will likely continue to use new forms of technology in the classroom, and will possibly utilize them at home as well.

As augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) become more popular and accessible, these may become the new frontier in technology. Parental controls in AR/VR worlds are still being developed, but the best way to stay on top of these new forms of tech is by staying informed.

Preparing Kids for Success

As technology advances and tech companies begin to cater to children and teens more and more, we can prepare our children to stay safer online. Protecting their privacy, staying away from age-inappropriate content, and managing screen time limits are just the beginning of internet safety rules. With more advanced technology comes new sets of rules, and healthy conversations around tech use set kids up for success.

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A Guide to Modern Tech Safety for Kids and Teens

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Discover tips to protect your devices in the digital realm. This Tech Safety Guide provides practical strategies to safeguard your kids' online presence from cyber threats.

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How to Protect Your Child from Cyberbullying

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How to Protect Your Child from Cyberbullying

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Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words (and texts, and images, and stolen passwords) will never hurt me.
That playground chant never rang true, even when updated for the information age. Bullying hurts just as much online. And it's far more common than other risks to children who use the Internet, including online sexual predators.

What Is Cyberbullying?

A cyberbully is someone who uses Internet technology to act cruelly toward another person. Online attacks often hurt more than face-to-face bullying because children can be anonymous over the Internet and behave in ways they never would in person. Online attacks can take on a life of their own: A false rumor or a cruel prank can spread quickly among classmates and live on forever in personal computers and cell phones. And there can be no escape for the victim. A fresh new attack threatens wherever there's an Internet connection, including the one place where they should feel safe: home.

A cyberbully might:

Use a cell phone to make repeated prank phone calls or send unwanted text messages to the victim.

Post cruel comments to the victim's social networking site or send unkind or rude emails or instant messages to the victim.

Create a fake social media profile to embarrass the victim.

Use a victim's password to break into his account, change the settings, lock the victim out, and impersonate the victim.

Forward the victim's private messages or photos to classmates and others. Sometimes the bully will trick the victim into revealing personal information for this purpose.

Forward or post embarrassing or unflattering photos or videos of the victim.

Spread malicious rumors through text messages, social networking sites, or other public forums.

Gang up on or humiliate the victim in online virtual worlds or online games.

5 Ways to Protect Your Child

Cyberbullying is most common among middle schoolers, but it can begin as early as 2nd grade, according to a 2008 Rochester Institute of Technology survey of 40,000 K-12 students. It's never too early to talk with your child about cyberbullying.
[Click to Read: What Kids Need When Classmates Reject Them]
1. Remind your child never to share his passwords, even with good friends.

2. If your child has an experience online that frightens her or hurts her feelings, she should let you know right away. If possible, save the evidence in case you need to take further action.

3. Don't respond to the bully. This is what the bully wants. If he sees that your child is upset, he's likely to torment her even more. Tell your child to take a deep breath, walk away from the computer if necessary, and ignore the harassment. Her next step should be to block the bully from contacting her again by using privacy settings and preferences.

4. Remind your child to treat others as he wants to be treated. This means not striking back when someone is mean to him and to support friends and others who are being cyberbullied.
[Get This Free Friendship Guide for Kids with ADHD]
5. Finally, limit the amount of time your child is online. The Rochester Institute of Technology study showed that children are more likely to get into trouble on the Internet - including bullying others or being bullied - the more time they spend online.

Is Your Child a Victim?

Most children won't tell their parents that they're being bullied because they're afraid their parents will take away the Internet or insist on complaining to the bully's parents. Sometimes children who are bullied are ashamed and blame themselves. Reassure your child that nobody deserves to be mistreated. Tell her that some people try to hurt others to make themselves feel better or because they've been bullied themselves. Let your child know that it's important for you to know what's going on so you can help her.

Signs that your child is being bullied can be hard to spot but may include:

Seeming nervous or unusually quiet, especially after being online.

Wanting to spend more or less time than usual on online activities.

Not wanting to go outdoors or to school.

Problems sleeping or eating.

Headaches or stomachaches.

Trouble focusing on schoolwork.

If you suspect your child is being cyberbullied, bring it up gently. Tell your child that by talking it over, you can work out a plan to deal with it. You might:

Contact the bully's parents. Be careful if you decide to do this because it can backfire and make the bullying worse. It's best if you already know the other child's parents and get along with them.

Contact your school officials. Make them aware of the problem and ask them to be on the lookout for signs that your child is being bullied at school. The school counselor or principal may have some strategies or even programs in place for handling bullying in school.

Look into filing a complaint against the bully if the behavior persists. Most internet service providers, websites, and cell phone companies have policies against harassment. You may be able to have the bully's account revoked.

Contact the police if you fear for your child's safety. Cyberbullying can cross into criminal behavior if it includes threats of violence, extortion, child pornography, obscenity, stalking, extreme harassment, or hate crimes.

If you learn that your child is being cruel to someone online, find out why. Often, cyberbullies are victims themselves. If this is the case with your child, go over the suggestions to help protect himself against being bullied. But remind him that bullying someone online or off is never OK and that using the Internet is a privilege that will be revoked if misused.

If your child notices someone else being picked on, encourage him to support the victim. Many social websites, such as YouTube and Facebook, allow users to report abuse. And bullies often back down when others make it clear they won't tolerate rude or nasty behavior.

Cyberbullying may be the most common online danger, but as a parent, talking openly about the issue is the best way to give your child the tools to protect herself from virtual sticks and stones.
[Read This Next: Apps That Boost Social Skills] Copyright © SchoolFamily.com. Reprinted with permission.

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How to Protect Your Child From Cyberbullying

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Is your child safe from bullying on the Internet? Online cyberbullying can be as cruel as anything that happens on the playground - and harder to defeat.

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Cyberbullying Continues to Rise among Youth in the United States

Here at the Cyberbullying Research Center, we routinely collect data from middle and high school students so that we can keep on top of what they are experiencing online. Over the last two decades, we have completed about twenty unique studies of teens and tweens in the United States involving more than 30,000 subjects. And [...]

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Cyberbullying Research Center - How to Identify, Prevent, and Respond

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Cyberbullying presents a dangerous threat in today's digital world to youth and adults alike. Access up-to-date resources and research on cyberbullying for parents, educators, students, non-profits, and tech companies. Read victim stories, learn about cyberbullying laws, and download relevant tips and strategies.

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Questions Parents Should Ask Their Children About Technology

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Questions Parents Should Ask Their Children About Technology

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What To Do When Your Child is Cyberbullied

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What To Do When Your Child is Cyberbullied

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is Cyberbullied

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Free, downloadable resources to equip parents as they help their children grow in the ability to stay safe and responsible online.

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Free, downloadable resources to equip parents as they help their children grow in the ability to stay safe and responsible online.

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Parents Archives - Cyberbullying Research Center

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Free, downloadable resources to equip parents as they help their children grow in the ability to stay safe and responsible online.

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Family Media Plan-American Academy of Pediatrics

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Family Media Plan-American Academy of Pediatrics

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​Use this Family Media Plan to create a personalized plan for how all kinds of media are used in your family. ​​

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An independent voice for kids, families, and schools everywhere.

Common Sense is a nonprofit organization giving kids, families, and schools the tools to make informed choices about media and technology. Families know us for our independent, age-based reviews of movies, TV shows, books, games, podcasts and apps. Educators use our free curriculum and edtech reviews to plan lessons and integrate technology into their teaching practice. At our core, we are a children's advocacy group. We draw on original research, industry expertise, and community partnerships to advocate for laws and policies that help kids thrive.

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Common Sense Media improves the lives of kids and families by providing independent reviews, age ratings, & other information about all types of media.

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31 Alternatives to Screen Time For Your Elementary School Child 

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31 Alternatives to Screen Time For Your Elementary School Child 

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31 Alternativas al tiempo frente a la pantalla para su hijo de primaria

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31 Alternativas al tiempo frente a la pantalla para su hijo de primaria

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Book-Unplugged play: 216 activities & games for ages 6-10

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Book-Unplugged play: 216 activities & games for ages 6-10

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Free Back-to-School Templates for Teachers and Families

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Free Back-to-School Templates for Teachers and Families

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Back-to-school traditions are an important way to help students and families tap into the opportunities of a new school year. As teachers, we enjoy setting up and decorating our classrooms, organizing new school supplies, or maybe planning a brand-new unit to try teaching this year. We might even be thinking about bringing some new digital tools or media into our classroom instruction.

But back-to-school is also a great time to consider how we communicate with, and support, families during this part of the year that's so pivotal to students' success. To help make this year's back-to-school time a little easier, we've put together a set of customizable templates focused on supporting you, your students, and their families during the transition back to the routines of the school year.

You can use any (or all!) of the templates below and customize them to work for you and your students. Whether you want to set norms and expectations for device use, communicate your class's daily routines, or help families support their students' learning with helpful at-home resources, we've got you covered.

Every school year is a new beginning and a fresh start. We're here for you! Thank you for all you do for your students and their families.

Set a positive culture of digital citizenship from the start with this customizable student agreement. Set expectations for device care, online safety, media use, and more. Offered in English and Spanish.

Discuss expectations for online communication, privacy and safety, device use, and more with your middle and high school students. Offered in English and Spanish.

Provide helpful support to students and families as they adjust to the school-year schedule. Use it to outline daily schedules and learning activities, provide any important information parents and caregivers need to know, and check in with how students are feeling each day. Offered in English and Spanish.

Help parents and caregivers stay informed about their student's progress with this customizable short discussion guide. Give families a brief look into what's happening in class, and offer some conversation starters, suggested questions, and class reminders. Offered in English and Spanish.

Edit and share this handy guide to make sure families have the information they need about any school-issued devices that students will use for learning. From how to log in to where to get technical support, make sure students and their families can easily get answers when they need them.

Edit and share this handy FAQ with families at the start of the year. Make sure they know how to contact you, where you post class assignments, and who else they can reach out to for additional support. Plus, the weekly check-in prompt is a nice way to start building relationships with families from day one! Offered in English and Spanish.

Help students focus on what they'll gain next year, not what they've lost, with these (mostly) free tools.

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Free Back-to-School Templates for Teachers and Families | Common Sense Education

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Help students and their families lay the foundation for a positive, successful school year.

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PROTEGER A LOS NIÑOS CONTRA LO DIGITALEXPLOTACIÓN: MANTENERNIÑOS SEGUROS EN LÍNEA

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PROTEGER A LOS NIÑOS CONTRA LO DIGITALEXPLOTACIÓN: MANTENERNIÑOS SEGUROS EN LÍNEA

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PROTEGER A LOS NIÑOS CONTRA LO DIGITALEXPLOTACIÓN: MANTENERNIÑOS SEGUROS EN LÍNEA

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Neurodivergent Kids and Screen Time - Child Mind Institute

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Screens can be beneficial to kids who are neurodivergent, helping them connect with other kids, calm anxiety, and increase learning. How parents can balance the benefits and risks.

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A Parent’s Guide to Dealing With Fortnite

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A Parent’s Guide to Dealing With Fortnite

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A Parent’s Guide to Dealing With Fortnite - Child Mind Institute

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Understanding the appeal of Fortnite and setting boundaries for healthy video game playing. How to keep kids from spending too much time on video games and manage disruptive behavior.

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Choosing Safe and Smart Charm Videos for Kids

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Choosing Safe and Smart Charm Videos for Kids

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Choosing Safe and Smart Charm Videos for Kids | SearchHounds

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Short, well-made videos can spark curiosity and build skills, but quality and safety matter. This guide shows how to choose age-appropriate creators, vet platforms, and turn screen time into meaningful learning at home and in classrooms.