Author: Joan Goodchild

How to Teach Kids to Use Tech For Good

It’s time to partner with our kids on technology use for more productive, enriching purposes.

By managing our device and screen time to be more educational and personally enriching, I am not suggesting we take them away or curtail time spent doing something we enjoy. Instead, I suggest we have a conversation around all of the positive ways the internet can enhance our lives and we spend the next twelve months (and hopefully beyond) using the bulk of our screen and device time for good.

Read about my suggestions in the January issue of Bay State Parent: https://www.baystateparent.com/news/20200102/teaching-kids-to-use-technology-for-good

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Helping Girls Navigate An Online World

Most of us parenting tweens and teens today know that spending time online is a passion for many kids in this age group. A recent report by Common Sense Media finds U.S. teens spend an average of more than seven hours per day on screen media for entertainment, and tweens spend nearly five hours.

A lot of those hours are spent online – using social media and texting with friends. But research also finds time spent online and on social media may be impacting girls differently than boys.

Read about a New Central Mass. group that aims to help young women navigate social media, texting and cyber-bullying.

https://www.baystateparent.com/news/20200310/giving-girls-tools-for-online-world

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Is Too Much Device Use Bad For Kids?

A landmark study of more than 11,000 kids aimed to gauge the effect screen time is having on their brains. Initial brain scans from the study conclude that children who spend more than seven hours a day on screens experience premature thinning of the cortex. The report also notes that younger children who have more than two hours of screen time a day receive lower scores on tests focused on thinking and language skills.

Read more about the study in this month’s BayState Parent column.

*Image by Kelly Sikkema

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Those Free Apps Kids Use Have A Dark Side

Have you ever offered your child an iPad to play games in order to get some uninterrupted time to cook dinner, or to do some work around the house? Many of us have. It’s common for parents to allow young kids to play games on parent-owned phones or tablets.

But a new report from security firm Rubica finds many gaming apps for kids contain significant security risks and may not be safe for use. Find out more in this Cyber Savvy Mom column on BayState Parent.

 

*Image by Hal Gatewood

 

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Is using free WiFi really risky?

We have been advised to stay off public WiFi networks because they are inherently risky. If you care about security and privacy, don’t jump on WiFi just because you HAVE to get access to something on your laptop.

But do you listen? No!

Apparently, no one is listening. Public, free WiFi is still increasingly popping up…well, everywhere. It’s in coffee shops, airports, it is even available in municipalities around the globe because many cities are developing free, public WiFi to power their own connected, smart cities initiatives.

Just how risky is WiFi these days? As this excellent Consumer Reports article notes, most sensitive data is now sent through encrypted channels. Many of the risks with public WiFi have faded since many adults began their online lives, according to Chester Wisniewski, a principal research scientist for the British cybersecurity firm Sophos.

This article breaks down the concerns that still exist with using public WiFi, and steps you can take to stay safe (or at least a bit safer) when using a public network.

*Image source: Bernard Hermant on Unsplash

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Is too much screen time damaging my kid?

This month’s column in BayState Parent encourages parents to rethink screen time for children.

A recent 60 Minutes segment reports on a landmark study of more than 11,000 kids to gauge the effect screen time is having on their brains. Initial brain scans from the study conclude that children who spend more than seven hours a day on screens experience premature thinning of the cortex. The report also notes that younger children who have more than two hours of screen time a day receive lower scores on tests focused on thinking and language skills.

With devices everywhere now, how can parents place acceptable limits on screen time? Check out my CyberSavvy Mom column for advice.

 

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Has your email been compromised?

Want to know if your email information has been leaked on the dark web? Many email addresses, and associated passwords, have been compromised in recent data breaches. A breach is an incident where data has been unintentionally exposed to the public. Criminals then often make lists of this information and place them on dark web sites for others to view in order to access your account and steal sensitive data (think: financial account information).

Use this link (listed again below) to enter your address (or any address you want to check). If you have been “p0wned” – a term meaning exposed – your first step is to change the password associated with that account.

Other important tips: Do not reuse passwords across accounts, and always use strong passwords. Get tips for creating strong passwords here.

https://haveibeenpwned.com

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