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Parenting Articles about Technology & Kids
Hands-on advice for parents who want guidance on how to manage their kids' use of technology.
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“My 14 year old daughter is a texting addict! She will even sit and text when our family is at a restaurant. It drives me nuts. If I tell her to stop, she just does it under the table. It’s like this little secret that we can’t be in on, plus it’s just plain rude. It’s as if half of her is here with us, but her brain is somewhere off with her friends. The thing that really annoys me is that she doesn’t take part in family activities any more—it’s like she has to have a special invitation to participate. What should we do?” |
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In this age of MySpace, cell phones and instant messaging, it has never been more important to ensure that you are a part of your daughter’s life: the real and the virtual. It is no surprise that girls are enamored with social communications as a way to make connections and keep in touch. By the time they are ten or eleven, they may be developing their own websites, and creating fun emoticons, avatars, and colorful texts for their emails. |
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Amber* got onto Myspace when she was 13. “It was easy, she said with a shrug.All you have to do is lie about your age and give them your email address.” The teen, who is now 15, said, “I guess I accepted a lot of ‘Friends’ to my list without really knowing who they were.” On Myspace, Facebook, Xanga and other social networking sites, the goal is to acquire as many “friends” as possible, a virtual popularity contest that can add up to a whole lot of unknowns. |
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What I typically suggest to parents is that they don’t allow violent video games in their home. If and when the issue comes up, that is actually a good opportunity to talk about their values, how to resolve conflicts and disputes in a non-violent way, which are useful conversations to have with kids. In any case it’s useful to convey your values to your children that violent solutions are not appropriate. Non-violent solutions can almost always be found.” |
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It’s an undisputed fact that the more violence kids are exposed to, the more desensitized they become to it. But it’s not the violence that’s the problem for families now. It’s the delivery systems used to bring that violence into the home. James Lehman explains how to keep the violence outside your home and away from your kids. |
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According to researchers at the Education Development Center in Newton, Massachusetts, 13% of teens involved in sexting reported a suicide attempt during the time interval during which the sexting occurred. I agree with lead researcher Shari Kessel Schneider that association does not imply causation. Nonetheless, whenever there is a link between teens' behavior and emotional distress, parents should be more than just a little concerned. Teens will be teens just doesn't apply.
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The last time I went trick or treating, I was 15 years old. My friend Colleen and I didn't even bother dressing up -- I think we just wore something vaguely pajama-ish. The nail in the coffin was when a woman answered the door, blinked and said, Aren't you two a little old to be asking for candy? (I was glad it was dark outside and that she couldn't see our faces turning as red as the mini-Twizzlers in our bags.)
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The other day while I was driving I noticed that the car in front of me was slowing down. I passed it and saw that the driver was an adult woman with two teenagers. The woman appeared to be texting while driving. She was putting all of us near her on the road at risk. Was her text really as important as our collective safety?
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It is almost that time again…school’s out for the summer! While classes and homework are wrapping up, kids are gearing up for the summer ahead. The iPad 2 has just been released, new cell phone apps are coming out daily and social networking activity is at an all-time high. With more free time on their hands (and potentially less on yours), it’s important to start the summer off right, and make sure that your kids are safe when using all of this technology.
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Bullying has taken on a whole new and aggressive form, and it’s sweeping the nation. With constant access to computers, cell phones and other wireless devices, kids are able to instantly upload pictures, make comments, or send messages that are hurtful in nature – oftentimes without even thinking about it. With technology, there’s no “think” button: there’s just the option to instantly send, share or save, and this is causing major problems amongst teens and tweens in the United States.
Sadly, it’s hard to read the news without seeing some mention of a new cyberbullying incident or tragedy. While major studies are currently being conducted in this area to better understand it, what we do know is that an overwhelming amount of young kids and teens report being cyberbullied.
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Last week the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) issued a new clinical report, “The Impact of Social Media Use on Children, Adolescents and Families ”, which warns parents that social networking sites can potentially fuel depression in some teenagers. As parents, how seriously do we take these latest findings? Do we act on them? Do we brush these claims off? Do we ban our teens from popular networking sites? There is a realistic and healthy approach to these latest findings that will help to answer these questions.
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The Family Online Safety Institute (FOSI) states that 40% of 8-18 year olds visit a social networking site at least once a day. Let’s face it: social networking is here to stay. Like it or not, it will play a role in our lives at some point, if it hasn’t already. So the question for parents is, how can we control our children’s exposure to it? Many parents may argue that as long as their children live under their roof, they can restrict things like social networking. However, this idea of restriction may not be completely realistic or necessary. Think of all the times your child has begged you to let them sign up for Facebook or some other social networking site. Have you found yourself scratching your head wondering: are social networks safe for my kids to use? Depending on the household, this answer to this will vary. Here are several basic considerations that will help you decide whether or not social networking is appropriate for your kids.
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Now that the holidays are over and we've made a dent in the new year, no doubt the kids are glued to the many new electronic wonders that have showed up over the last month or so. This is part of being a kid and certainly fine.... in moderation. The problem is we just keep piling on the electronic, time-eating gadgetry without ever compensating. Not many parents pulled the TV out of the house when the computer first arrived. This is a significant problem that we need to address.
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Sex. Drugs. More sex. More drugs. Parents and teachers who are complete idiots. Just another day in the life of the average high school kid. And just another TV series that’s going to make parenting even more difficult.
That was my takeaway from the premiere of the much-talked-about MTV series Skins.
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