Students of all ages have access to screen time, whether it’s Facetiming with relatives, or using social media to chat with friends. It’s important to help your student develop healthy screen time management habits and monitor them for red flags that might indicate that they are addicted to technology.
Digital Citizenship Blog at SmartSocial.com
16 Safety Experts Share Teen Cell Phone Best Practices
We asked 16 experts to share their favorite tools, tips, and resources for safe smartphone use. Learn how to create a teen cell phone agreement, how to have an open dialogue with your teen, and how to introduce the responsibility of having a smartphone early.
What Parents Need to Know about the Benadryl Challenge
The Benadryl Challenge encourages users to take excessive amounts of allergy medication with the hopes of hallucinating. If you find anyone who has overdosed on medication, seek medical assistance immediately. Learn how parents and educators can talk with students about this, and other, dangerous social media challenges.
11 Ways to Protect Students from Online Predators
According to a study, more than 82% of online sex crimes originate from social networking sites that predators use to gain insight into their victim’s habits and likes. Learn how parents can keep their students safe from online predators and tips for starting a digital safety dialog.
2021 Parent Guide About Telegram Messenger
Telegram Messenger offers unlimited instant messaging. The app connects users to large Groups or unlimited Channels of other users, including a People Nearby feature. Large chat groups can easily get out of control with unknown members.
Why Every Family Needs a Social Media Agreement in 2021
A smartphone and social media agreement can help families create healthy internet habits and set clear boundaries anytime a new device is brought into the home.
2021 Whisper App Guide for Parents & Educators
Whisper is an app that allows anonymous users to post their “real thoughts and feelings” for public viewing or send private messages that can be seen by anyone, especially those nearby. This app is dangerous for students in encouraging anonymous posts and live connections with strangers.
17 Positive Ways Families Can Use Social Media Together
Are you wondering how families can incorporate technology in a positive way to make a connection between parents and children? We asked 16 experts for their ideas and tips for how to incorporate technology into your family time.
21 Ways to Reduce Digital Distractions During Online Classes and Homework Time
21 experts share their best tips that parents can use to help prevent digital devices from becoming distractions during their child’s online classes or homework time.
What parents need to know about private photo calculator apps
There are now hundreds of apps that allow students to hide their inappropriate photos behind an innocent looking calculator app (or another style of app that looks innocent). These apps are popular because they help a student to hide their behavior from their parents or teachers.
Walkie-talkie apps: Who is your student talking to?
Walkie-talkie apps turn phones and tablets into a two-way radios. It sounds innocent enough, but there are some stranger dangers and privacy issues that students, parents, and educators should know.
7 Tips for Becoming a Cyber-Savvy Parent or Educator
Internet technology changes so quickly, so it can feel challenging to stay on top of it. Do you wish you were more cyber-savvy as a parent or educator? Learn how to delegate research to the experts, discover teen trends, and simple tips to keep students safe online.
What Are Social Media Jet Lag and Cyberloafing
Research has shown that using social media at night creates side effects similar to the feelings travelers feel with jet lag. The cycle of social media jet lag effects and cyberloafing can make students (and adults) feel fatigued, make it harder to fall asleep when it is bedtime, and users can feel confused in daily tasks.
2021 Kik chat app: What parents need to know
In September 2019, Kik announced that it will be shutting down. After learning that a 13-year-old girl communicated with her killer on the popular Kik Messenger app prior to her murder, a lot of parents are beginning to worry about the apps their kids use—and how they use them.
6 Cybersecurity Tips for Schools
We asked cybersecurity experts for best practices for employees, staff, or teachers to know about phishing, ransomware, and malicious downloads in their professional communications.
2021 LinkedIn Guide for Parents and Students
For students thinking about their futures in college or employment, LinkedIn can be a powerful tool for taking control of one’sonline presence. Creating a profile with a positive intention can help students tell their stories and stand out.
Emerald Chat Parent Guide 2021
Students crave social connections and in the online world, those connections might seem safe with computer screens between users. However, young students who are eager to meet others can be exposed to foul language or nudity in live chats or can become victims of exploitation.
How to Limit Screen Time Without Conflict
We asked 14 experts to share their best tips parents can use to limit screen time. Learn how you can create a daily routine for your family, how to encourage your students to earn screen time, how to model positive behaviors, how to take a social media break, and more.
YouTube Parent Guide 2021
YouTube users add new videos each day, at an astonishing rate, making it challenging to keep unsuitable content away from kids. It’s a fantastic source for education and entertainment, but the Smart Social team wants parents to know the potential for danger is also limitless. We will cover ways to help make it safer for your family.
Minecraft: 2021 Parent Guide
Minecraft is often described as a virtual version of LEGOS, but with various modes and chat features, there are some dangers parents and educators should be aware of. Learn how Minecraft works and how to make it safer for students in this app guide.