Don't believe everything you read about "screentime." It's rarely helpful – especially if presented as an undifferentiated mass of digital activity that just needs to be limited. That blunt-instrument approach is not helpful to parents. This very visual commentary from graphic designer and blogger Heather Hopp-Bruce in the Boston Globe is a refreshing departure from most messages about children's … [Read more...] about Zooming in on ‘screentime’ (this time with more precision)
parents
Protecting student privacy calls for student participation
This era of big data and big exposure – of all aspects of life to peers, the public and even perpetrators – calls for big participation. Because every day people are exposing, sharing, uploading, creating and inputting things about themselves and others, whether in social situations or part of their jobs, as friends, relatives, students or professionals, everybody is a participant (and … [Read more...] about Protecting student privacy calls for student participation
Does digital downtime fix FOMO?
Maureen O'Connor at New York Magazine calls it "the Band-Aid of Luddism." Not that anybody who takes days off from digital media is a Luddite. Certainly not. It's just that band-aids don't fix problems; they make them less visible (yes, and help keep things clean, but stay with me for a minute, here). "We have a tendency to blame technology-mediated problems on the technology itself," … [Read more...] about Does digital downtime fix FOMO?
Spoiler alert: Kid loves teaching Twitter to Dad
I never do movie reviews. But Chef is totally on-topic for NetFamilyNews, and not because some families have foodies in them. It's because there's a scene that illustrates better than anything I've seen on film how sweetly and respectfully social media can be folded into parenting. Sure, as in this scene, it can be a little bumpy and awkward at times (like parenting, like being a kid), but when … [Read more...] about Spoiler alert: Kid loves teaching Twitter to Dad
New parental controls for Chromebooks
Just in time for parents' holiday shopping, Google announced its new "Supervised Users" tool for Chromebooks. You know about Chromebooks, right? They're a very viable alternative to tablets that are just as (in some cases more) low-cost and offer a more laptop-like experience, and this tool makes them an even more viable option for families. [As their name suggests, the Chrome browser is their … [Read more...] about New parental controls for Chromebooks