Social Media — Popular Guides
Parent’s Quick-Guide to Instagram
The main things parents worry about are typical of all social media: mean behavior among peers, encountering — or creating — inappropriate or dangerous content, and overuse.
Being Courteous in Your Use of Technology
Tech is all around us, which is mostly good, but it can also lead to some not-so-good social interactions.
Parent’s Guide to Twitch
You may not have heard of Twitch but your teen probably has. Here’s what you need to know about the popular live-streaming platform and how you can help your teen use it safely.
Quick-Guide to Roblox for Parents
Parents should know that most Roblox games include social features, like in-game chat and filtered messaging, though you can turn off these features.
Parent and Guardian Guide to Meta Horizon Worlds
Meta Horizon Worlds is now open to teens ages 13 to 17. Here’s what parents and teens need to know about navigating the social VR app safely.
More Recommendations
Tips to Help Stop Cyberbullying
Guidance for parents and young people on cyberbullying, including advice for ending (or preventing) the cycle of...
Parent’s & Educator’s Guide to Media Literacy & False Information
We hear a lot about misinformation, disinformation and “fake news,” but whatever you call it, it’s a symptom of much larger problems, including the lack of media literacy.
Meta’s Threads Offers a Kinder, Gentler Experience than the New Twitter
Meta’s new Threads service is the second biggest challenge to Twitter.
FBI Issues Warning About Sextortion After Arrest in Teen Death
The FBI, the Department of Homeland Security and the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) issued a joint national public safety alert on financial sextortion schemes.
Ask Trish: Social Media and Mental Health
Dear Trish: Maybe it’s just me but I just feel really bad about myself when I’m on social media. Like literally everyone seems to be living their best life and it reminds me how much is wrong with mine. How can I feel better?
Family Guide to Parental Controls
What are parental controls and what do they do? How do I know when to use them, and should I tell my kids?
Protecting Mental Health on Instagram
I’m grateful to the Wall Street Journal for shedding light on some of the ways social media can contribute to a sense of inadequacy and other mental health issues. But what the article didn’t include is tips on how parents and teens can deal with these issues for a healthier online experience.
Seniors Flocking to TikTok
When you think about TikTok, it’s easy to conjure up images of young teens lip-synching and horsing around in short videos they share with their peers.
Ask Trish: The Pressure to Be Perfect
“I sometimes feel like the pressure to be perfect on social media can be so overwhelming. Do you have tips for...
Parent’s & Educator’s Guide to Media Literacy & False Information
We hear a lot about misinformation, disinformation and “fake news,” but whatever you call it, it’s a symptom of much larger problems, including the lack of media literacy.
Meta’s Threads Offers a Kinder, Gentler Experience than the New Twitter
Meta’s new Threads service is the second biggest challenge to Twitter.
FBI Issues Warning About Sextortion After Arrest in Teen Death
The FBI, the Department of Homeland Security and the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) issued a joint national public safety alert on financial sextortion schemes.
Ask Trish: Social Media and Mental Health
Dear Trish: Maybe it’s just me but I just feel really bad about myself when I’m on social media. Like literally everyone seems to be living their best life and it reminds me how much is wrong with mine. How can I feel better?
Family Guide to Parental Controls
What are parental controls and what do they do? How do I know when to use them, and should I tell my kids?
More Recommendations
Facebook’s Messenger & Instagram’s Disappearing Act
Snapchat may have pioneered disappearing posts in social media, but Facebook is adding a disappearing act to...
Parent, Educator & Youth Guide to LGBTQ Cyberbullying
64% of LGBTQ+ respondents have been harassed online, at disproportionately higher rates of harassment than all other identity groups. Here’s how parents, peers and schools can help.
Strengthening Resilience During Tough Times
We spoke with Rabbi Kevin Bemel, a former US Navy chaplain, about resilience, relationships and thriving during...
Online Conspiracy Theories Could Hurt Kids
Conspiracy theories have been circulating on social media and getting ever more convoluted. Facebook, Twitter and other companies have taken some actions to reduce their visibility, but they are still present in one form or another.
Do Passwords Really Protect Us?
Online security expert Andrew Shikiar of FIDO Alliance talked to us about phishing, vishing, social engineering, and what’s wrong with passwords. “Simply put, passwords aren’t up to the task.”
One Person’s Internet Junk is Another Person’s Treasure
That expression, “one person’s junk is another person’s treasure” could certainly be applied to the internet. But when it comes to some controversial content, I’d go a step further to say “one person’s sewer is another person’s rose garden.”
Australia eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant
We spoke with US-born Julie Inman Grant about her role as Australia’s eSafety Commissioner, the country's national...
Teaching Kids Empathy & Kindness with Children’s Author Trudy Ludwig
Children's author Trudy Ludwig's books are not only delightfully written and illustrated but also teach and model...
Media in the Middle Ep. 10: Cancel Culture
Learn how young people feel about cancel culture, a practice of withdrawing support for (canceling) public figures and...