Beware of Online Scams

Americans lost at least $16.6 billion to scams in 2024, according to the FBI.

What is Pink Slime?

Helping kids understand pink slime journalism builds a deeper level of media literacy.

Tech Neck

We all worry about how screens affect our kids’ attention spans, moods, and sleep — but there’s another, more physical side to this digital age that deserves attention too.

AI and Teen Diet Risks

Researchers found six risks for people susceptible eating disorders when using AI.

Cynics or Citizens?

Parents and educators hope for our kids to grow into adults who contribute to society in positive ways, but new research from the News Literacy Project indicates our kids are pretty cynical.

Parent Guides

Parent’s Guide to TikTok

Parent’s Guide to TikTok

TikTok-ConnectSafely Family Survey     TikTok is one of the most popular platforms for watching and creating short videos. Although you can view TikTok content via its website, downloading the mobile app is the best way to explore features and learn how it works....

Guide to Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses

Meta and Ray-Ban have released the second generation of smart glasses. The first was called “Ray-Ban Stories.” The new version, introduced in late 2023, is Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses. Both versions have a camera that can take both still and video pictures. The new...

Family Guide to Parental Controls

  What are parental controls and what do they do? There are a variety of control tools and monitoring tools available to parents. Some are software products or mobile apps that you buy or subscribe to. Others are free, and some are already present on your phone,...

Parent’s Guide to ZEPETO

Download the Quick-Guide (PDF) What is ZEPETO? ZEPETO is a mobile and web app that allows people ages 13 and older to create and customize virtual avatars with various features, clothes, hairstyles, and accessories and interact with others in virtual worlds. ZEPETO is...

Parent’s Guide to Google Search

Note: This guide applies only to Google Search and not other search tools. If you or your children are using other sites, please familiarize yourselves with their settings and safety features. Download the Guide (PDF) How Google Search works While performing a basic...

Wellness and Safety

Parent’s Guide to Uber Teen Accounts

Parent’s Guide to Uber Teen Accounts

As teens mature, parents look for ways to strike a balance between independence and safety. Transportation is one of the biggest challenges: how do you give your teen the freedom to get to school activities, jobs, or friends’ houses without always being in the...

Tips for Better Teen Sleep

By Kerry Gallagher Teens need between 8 to 11 hours of sleep per night, and less than 2 in 10 teens report regularly getting that much. Their circadian rhythms shift to later hours in the teen years, meaning they aren’t tired until later in the evening and struggle to...

Internet Governance Forum Focuses on Protecting Kids

by Larry Magid This post first appeared in the Mercury News I traveled to Lillestrøm, Norway in late June for the annual United Nations Internet Governance Forum (IGF). Unlike many UN gatherings that primarily involve government officials, the IGF is a...

Supreme Court Allows States to Require Age Verification for Porn Sites

By Larry Magid By a 6-3 vote along ideological lines, the United States Supreme Court voted to uphold a Texas law requiring users to verify their age before accessing websites that host material considered “sexually explicit” and “obscene to minors.” Texas argued the...

Youth Voices

Why Gen Z Loves Analog Tech

Why Gen Z Loves Analog Tech

By Julianna Bryant Julianna is a college student and member of the ConnectSafely Youth Advisory Council. While technology keeps promising faster, smarter, and sleeker, Gen Z is choosing grainy photos, scratched CDs, and the slow ritual of pressing ‘play.’ In recent...

Banning Phones in Schools

By Pierce Labrie Pierce is a high school student member of ConnectSafely’s Youth Advisory Council. Each year, as phone usage among teens increases, there is always talk about whether phones should be allowed in schools. However, recently, there have been new state...

Videos

1. Generative AI for Families

2. Smart Digital Parenting: Navigating Screens with Children & Teens

3. New Gaming Research

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