When I first read Janell Hoffman's 18-point contract for her 13-year-old son Greg's cellphone use, I was a little put off. So it really helped to watch Good Morning America's video story about it. Why? Because GMA gave it a light touch, and reporter Akiko Fujita pointed out afterwards that "a lot of this was done in jest." That helped because this was very public parenting, and – if this national … [Read more...] about One mom’s cellphone contract for her son
family policy
Does tracking our kids’ every move make them safer?
Reflecting on a cellphone app developer's claim, I'm thinking that tracking our kids' movements, moment by moment, isn't the best way to enhance "family awareness." Those are the words of Chris Hull, CEO of the company that developed the Life360 tracking app, in an interview for Time. Is that "awareness" as in "surveillance"? Oddly, Time interpreted Hull's reference to be "family awareness" as … [Read more...] about Does tracking our kids’ every move make them safer?
Rachel Simmons’s house rules for social tech
"Most middle and high school girls need their parents to limit social media use," writes Rachel Simmons, author of the new, revised Odd Girl Out. "They are not able to do it on their own. Many girls are addicted to social media because, simply put, they are addicted to their relationships." I'm not sure I agree with her second sentence, stated so categorically (because we know from social media … [Read more...] about Rachel Simmons’s house rules for social tech
‘You’re (digitally) grounded!’
Instead of grounding their kids for bad grades or behavior, more and more parents are taking away the cellphone, laptop, or Xbox, the Washington Post reports. " In a report earlier this year that captured part of the trend, 62% of parents said they had taken away a cellphone as punishment," it adds, citing data from the Pew Internet & American Life Project. The article tells of how Ian, then a … [Read more...] about ‘You’re (digitally) grounded!’