Can We Hold These Three Truths about Tech and Teens at the Same Time?
Mark Zuckerberg turned toward a group of grieving parents this week and issued a public apology. “I’m sorry for everything you’ve been through,” he said…
Parenting in the Digital Age
Parenting Mindsets for Digital Thriving
-
Can We Hold These Three Truths about Tech and Teens at the Same Time? -
Teens and Screens: Why The Shift From Control to Connection is Key to Mental HealthTeens and Screens: Why The Shift From Control to Connection is Key to Mental Health
We all have well rehearsed parenting phrases that emerge at different stages in our kids’ lives. Usually they pop into our heads or out of…
-
Teens, Tech, and the Power of Staying CuriousTeens, Tech, and the Power of Staying Curious
When our kids are little, we get a lot of data about their lives. We know their friends, what they ate for lunch, and which…
Getting Practical
-
First Phones, Training Wheels, and the Science of Starting SlowFirst Phones, Training Wheels, and the Science of Starting Slow
“Your phone is blowing up!” a friend noticed during a walk together. “Everything okay?”
I laughed and showed her the avalanche of cow, sunglass-smiley-face, and poop…
-
10 Tips for Building Trust With Parental Controls10 Tips for Building Trust With Parental Controls
It doesn’t work well to install parental controls, close our eyes, cross our fingers, and hope for digital greatness. How we use parental controls has…
-
New Digital Devices? Get Off To The Right Start With a Family Media PlanNew Digital Devices? Get Off To The Right Start With a Family Media Plan
There is no doubt that gaming systems, phones, and tablets are at the top of many children’s wish lists this year. While there are reasons…
-
When Screen Time Rules Fall ApartWhen Screen Time Rules Fall Apart
When my family had a conversation about summer screen time a month ago, our agreements and ideas felt so full of promise. They didn’t result…
-
Guiding Kids and Teens Through the YouTube EraGuiding Kids and Teens Through the YouTube Era
“What is the site or platform you wouldn’t want to live without?”
For years, researchers at Common Sense Media have asked kids and teens this question…
-
When Kids Lie About Online ActivitiesWhen Kids Lie About Online Activities
“I wasn’t surprised that my kid looked at inappropriate content online. I know it comes with the territory,” a parent recently confided. “What upset me…
Digital Strengths
-
A Different Kind of Checklist About Kids and TechA Different Kind of Checklist About Kids and Tech
We are familiar with the checklists that help us spot when things are going wrong when it comes to screen time. Our eyes quickly scan…
-
Screens, Shark Music, and Noticing the Kid in Front of YouScreens, Shark Music, and Noticing the Kid in Front of You
“I need to figure out how to approach my kids differently when they are on their devices. The moment I see my kid on his…
-
Six Things Teens Wish We Understood About Their Digital LivesSix Things Teens Wish We Understood About Their Digital Lives
“What do you wish adults better understood about your relationship with technology?”
I asked this question to a group of seven high school student leaders last…
AI, Chatbots, and Social Emotional Development
-
AI Companions Are Talking to Kids—Are We?AI Companions Are Talking to Kids—Are We?
I remember watching the 2013 movie Her, where a man named Theo develops a relationship with an artificial intelligence operating system, and feeling two contradictory things…
-
Getting Closer: What New Research Reveals About Teens, AI, and the Relationships That MatterGetting Closer: What New Research Reveals About Teens, AI, and the Relationships That Matter
“Get closer!” my son said. I was standing in front of a giant piece of art that spanned half the wall. The image was completely…
-
When Friendship Goes FrictionlessWhen Friendship Goes Frictionless
When I’m leading workshops with parents about adolescence, I often invite them to travel back to their own teenage years. I’m not asking for a…
Talking About Tough Topics
-
New Report Reminds Us (Again) To Talk to Young People About PornNew Report Reminds Us (Again) To Talk to Young People About Porn
“When did you start talking to your kids about online porn?” a friend recently asked me, wincing a bit at the prospect of embarking on…
-
Pressure to Share: What a New Study on Nude Photos Tells Us About Teen RelationshipsPressure to Share: What a New Study on Nude Photos Tells Us About Teen Relationships
We’ve all seen the chilling public service announcements. A girl is messaging someone online and the conversation appears to be taking place between friends. The…
-
The Conversations We Can’t Opt Out Of: Teens, AI, and Sexual ContentThe Conversations We Can’t Opt Out Of: Teens, AI, and Sexual Content
“I have barely figured out how to talk to my kids about viewing online porn,” a parent shared with me recently. “It’s so overwhelming to…
-
Bodies, Bots, and the Talks Kids NeedBodies, Bots, and the Talks Kids Need
“What kinds of questions feel easier to ask AI than a human?”
This is a question that the Harvard Graduate School of Education’s Center for Digital…
-
On Boys and Eating Disorders with Dr. Jason Nagata
-
The Algorithmic Education of BoysThe Algorithmic Education of Boys
There’s a small print hanging on the wall just outside our kitchen that says simply, “It’s okay to cry here.”
I don’t necessarily need the reminder…
The Bigger Picture
-
Play Without Pressure and Room to Roam: Why Independent Activities Are Key to WellbeingPlay Without Pressure and Room to Roam: Why Independent Activities Are Key to Wellbeing
In the past five years every major organization dedicated to adolescent health and development has sounded the alarm on mental health. There has been a…
-
The Surprising Science of Awe and Why We Need It Right NowThe Surprising Science of Awe and Why We Need It Right Now
“Wow, this is stunning,” my oldest said facetiously, staring into a wall of dense gray clouds. After a couple of hours of hiking in the…
-
What to Prioritize This School Year (Beyond the Supply List)What to Prioritize This School Year (Beyond the Supply List)
“Didn’t we just buy a college rule composition notebook?” I asked my high schooler.
“I think so, but I can’t find it,” he replied.
The same conversation…