Providing information and resources for parents, youth workers and educators to help kids navigate their digital world.
Three Florida Keys teenage boys were arrested after a video showing two of them engaging in sexual acts with a 12-year-old girl was shared by students, police said. Read the article here.
The internet can be a dangerous avenue for everyone, but children and teens are especially vulnerable, no matter their smart device or location. Read the article here.
Facebook-owned Instagram has been criticized for keeping secret its internal research into the effect social media had on teenager users. Read the article here.
In April 2021, 70% of those ages 2 to 12 said they had recently seen ads on YouTube, far more than the 36% who reported the same of TV. Read the report here.
Data shows that many teens are dealing with mental health issues. The national average of weekly visits for suspected suicide attempts among people ages 12 to 17 jumped nearly 40 percent in February and March compared to two years before, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Read the article here.
Its own in-depth research shows a significant teen mental-health issue that Facebook plays down in public. Read the article here.
NFTs, like Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies, have been subject to bouts of volatility since hitting the mainstream in the spring. Read the article here.
Having phones used less during the school day increases connections and decreases distractions. Read more here.
The restrictions reflect the government’s intensifying push for companies to jettison what it says are unhealthy cultural influences. Read the article here.
Old games are being rebooted and remade as different generations play video games together. Read the research here.
Teens need to regularly switch screen time for physical activity for the sake of their health and mental wellbeing, according to a University of Queensland-led study. Read the article here.
Many of the videos, which in the last week have flooded the feeds of TikTok users across the country, show potential new members — or PNMs, as they are called in the sorority and fraternity community — showing off their outfits for themed events and naming the brand or store each item comes from. Other videos show behind the scenes of how they get ready for the events and, in some cases, attending them. Read the article here.
Defend Young Minds has this to say about OnlyFans:
“The idea behind OnlyFans was to “develop a site where creators could monetize their content free of advertisers.”
The “creators” included photographers, YouTubers, models, actors, and others involved in the creative arts. Unfortunately, the site also immediately attracted sexually explicit content.”
Read the full article here.
A recently completed study shows that six hours of leisure-time physical activity per week at the age of 11 reduces the risk of being overweight at 14 years of age associated with heavy use of digital media. Read the article here.
Content portraying vaping as cool and in a positive light is rampant on the popular social media platform TikTok. Read the article here.
For many years now, some experts have been saying that smartphones and social media harm teens while others have dismissed those concerns as just another moral panic, no different from those that accompanied the arrival of video games, television and even comic books. Read the article here.
Facebook says it will no longer allow advertisers to target those 18 and under based on their interests and activity on other sites. Read the article here.
Teens are talking about some heavy topics online. Read the article here.
The move follows pushback at launch of an Instagram service for children under 13. Read the article here.
There’s no shortage of people online looking to exploit and manipulate the vulnerable among us. One such group is anorexia coaches, or “anacoaches”. Read the article here.
A vivid picture of sexual assaults and harassment in teenagers’ lives has been laid bare in recent months but parents rarely speak about the emotional turmoil they face. Read the article here.
A 12-year-old boy from Oklahoma died this week after participating in a dangerous social media trend on TikTok, according to a local TV report. Read the article here.
Researchers find minimal interactions by teen users can trigger a deluge of thin-body and dieting images. Read the article here.
The video app is causing products to blow up — and flame out — faster than ever. Read the article here.
Twitch is more popular than ever, sustaining and growing its audiences even after a circumstantial, COVID-inspired spike in viewership during 2020. Read the article here.
Loneliness among adolescents around the globe has skyrocketed since a decade ago — and it may be tied to smartphone use, a new study finds. Read the article here.
The social media platform said Wednesday that it is ending its Fleets feature, where users can share text, photos and videos that disappear in 24 hours, similar to rival Snapchat, due to the lack of new user engagement. Read the article here.
Netflix announced that it’s hired a Facebook executive to lead games development — apparently signaling its intention to leap into publishing video games. Read the article here.
Teens are running TikTok and Instagram fan pages for TV shows that aired in the 2000s. Read the article here.
Tim Elmore blogs about what parents need to consider regarding their own social media posts involving their kids. Read the blog here.
Several creators have been called out for faking their age and their race. Read the article here.
Those who used cellphones while behind the wheel were more likely to report other risky driving behaviors such as speeding, aggressive passing and running red lights. Read the article here.
New research out of South Korea shows that teens who spend too much time on their smartphones are also more prone to eating habits that increase their odds for obesity. Read the article here.
The minute a babysitter enters your home, you’ve also likely invited in a smartphone. Read the article from Protect Young Minds here.
One of the reasons younger generations are more comfortable interacting with technology is because they know the world no other way. Read the article here.
Even before the pandemic, teens were spending hours playing video games. A 2018 poll of nearly 1,000 parents of teenagers showed the impact of gaming on their teens’ lives. Read the article here.
Teens who used a smartphone for more than 2 hours per day were significantly more likely to eat more junk food and fewer fruits and vegetables than those spending less time on their phone. Read the article here.
The deal between TSM, which fields competitive video game teams, and the Hong Kong-based FTX exchange, rivals the kinds of deals top sports franchises land to name arenas and stadiums. Read the article here.
Nearly 70% of US influencers said brand collaborations are their No. 1 revenue stream. Read the article here.
Researchers say the combination of home confinement and too much time looking at digital screens appears to be severely impacting kids’ vision. Read the article here.
There will be no return exactly to the pre-pandemic normal, as the use of new technologies in churches will not suddenly vanish. Read the article here.
Recommendations from family/friends and TikTok videos are among the top drivers of product purchases among Gen Z females, according to the 2021 IRI Gen Z survey. Read the article here.
Researchers are urging parents to place time limits on their children’s tech use. Read the article here.
More than 150 people were arrested after a crowd of around 2,500 assembled for a TikTok influencer’s birthday party in California’s Huntington Beach, creating a ruckus, including hurling fireworks and rocks at the police. Read the article here.
Sirius, which owns Pandora and the podcasting company Stitcher, announced a new partnership with the social video app today that’ll bring TikTok-popularized music to the satellite radio provider. Read the article here.
Joan Ganz Cooney Center and CPB seek to carry forward Joan’s vision of programming that prioritizes youth well-being and supports learning and the development of life skills. Read the article here.
Young adults who used an interactive text messaging program that encouraged them to stop vaping were up to 40% more likely to quit than their peers who did not participate in the program, a new study finds. Read the article here.
Our complicated relationship with social media might be simpler than it feels. Just remember how it started. Read the article here.
There’s little doubt remote learning and child care issues are pushing more parents to rely on screens to keep their children preoccupied during COVID-19. Read the article here.
The Internet has become a destination of endless doom scrolling and incessant comparison, especially as platforms like Instagram have become home to highly edited images that don’t reflect reality, having a disproportionate impact on youth. Read the article here.
Remind your kids there’s no problem too big that you can’t work out together. Read the article here.
In 2023, TikTok will surpass Snapchat in total US users. Read the article here.
Once school ends, a recent study finds two-thirds of children spend their evenings and weekends staring at up to four screens at once. Read the article here.
During the pandemic, some Gen Zers have turned to TikTok for mental health advice and information. Read the article here.
“Parasocial relationships” explain why you think influencers are your pals. Read the article here.
What exactly is Discord? And can my teen safely use it? Read the article from Protect Young Minds here.
Out of touch? Basic? A new term to describe a certain aesthetic is gaining popularity on TikTok. Read the full article here.
Sometimes people will say that viewing pornography is no big deal because it doesn’t hurt anyone. Sean McDowell shares why this couldn’t be further from the truth. Watch the video here.
In the digital era, the old rule book on ownership doesn’t work anymore. But beware of what’s replacing it. Read the article here.
A majority of Americans say they use YouTube and Facebook, while use of Instagram, Snapchat and TikTok is especially common among adults under 30. Read the article here.
John Piper is one of the most influential theologians in America. His son Abraham calls evangelicalism “a destructive, narrow-minded worldview.” Read the article here.
Some families have come to prefer stand-alone virtual schools and districts are rushing to accommodate them — though questions about remote learning persist. Read the article here.
The study also found that boys were more likely to engage in cyberbullying than girls. Read the article here.
New study finds that teens in virtual classes are less satisfied with their school experience, but are no more likely to be depressed. Read the article here.
In its debut in a highly regarded study of Americans’ social media platform usage, TikTok ranks just behind Snapchat and Twitter, and well ahead of far more established Reddit as a social media destination U.S. adults say they use. Read the article here.
YouTube recently launched a new option specifically geared toward tweens, teens, and their parents with a supervised experience. Read the article here.
Protect Young Minds provides reasons that Instagram for kids is not developmentally age-appropriate. Read the article here.
The Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood (CCFC) and the Center for Digital Democracy (CDD) said they plan to file a complaint with the FTC Wednesday asking regulators to investigate how the Google Play Store promotes apps for kids. Read the article here.
From a new article at ProtectYoungMinds.org:
Research shows that there’s a startling decline in empathy among kids. And in a world where capturing the perfect selfie, garnering likes and followers, and achieving social media fame are highly valued, it’s not hard to see why kids are becoming selfie-centered.
Read the full article here.
Physically being in school with friends and teachers is best, but it seems kids have made big gains in becoming tech savvy. Read the article here.
Vishal Shah, Instagram’s vice president of product, reportedly announced the initiative in a Facebook post for employees. Read the article here.
Unique, complex information in analog methods likely gives brain more details to trigger memory. Read the article here.
Many children have spent more than a year attending school virtually, raising significant concerns about a growing inequality gap. Watch the video here.
Technology may help older children and adults connect with the world, but for toddlers, too much screen time may be doing lasting harm before they even enter school. Read the article here.
Fraudsters were more likely to go after Gen Z, 44%, and Millennials, 37%, more than any other age group globally. Read the article here.
Numerous studies have documented the negative effects of social media on people with eating disorders, but there are some aspects specific to TikTok that are concerning. Read the article here.
As the pandemic has driven learning online, some sex education game developers think this could be their moment. Read the article here.
A new U.S. Education Department survey reveals that the percentage of students who are still attending school virtually may be higher than previously understood. Read the article here.
If you suspect your child is bullying others online or off, experts say parents need to be on the front lines of fixing the problem. Read the article here.
Tips for families of older kids and teens from Common Sense Media. Read the article here.
Creators are using online platforms to earn money by auctioning off, or taking polls, for what activities they should do next. Read the article here.
Teen users will also be shown safety prompts when messaging ‘suspicious’ adults. Read the article here.
Sex robots and better long-distance connections? Read the article here.
New YouTube talk shows that Millennials and Gen Zs are tuning into. Read the article here.
Video-game revenues — games, consoles and accessories — continue to spike, up 35% in February to a record $4.6 billion, according to the NPD Group. Read the article here.
Using a hand-held phone while driving is a major safety hazard at any age. Read the article here.
Creators who purport to reduce the stigma around mental health issues may be unintentionally spreading misinformation on the app, where people who post about mental health are easily confused with real professionals making similar content. Read the article here.
Two thirds of children use more than one screen at the same time after school, in the evenings and at weekends as part of increasingly sedentary lifestyles, according to new research. Read the article here.
Most young women in the survey said they’re frequently bombarded with tailored ads for beauty products and cosmetic surgeries. Read the article here.
A team of researchers at King’s College London has found that nearly 40% of students surveyed exhibited symptoms of addiction to their smartphone. Read the article here.
Addictions can develop in response to things other than chemical substances — smartphones, video gaming, certain forms of enabling and so on. Read the article here.
For many teens, the pandemic has created an environment in which most of their lives take place in the shadows. Read the article here.
The company behind the popular kids’ title, Animal Jam, is launching a new game, Fer.al, which builds on Animal Jam’s legacy while catering to a slightly older crowd of Gen Z teens. Read the article here.
Experts are particularly concerned about young people using multiple devices at the same time. Read the article here.
Loneliness is a risk factor associated with adolescents being drawn into compulsive internet use. Read the article here.
Learning to control your social media and TV habits early can help kids make healthier decisions as they get older. Read the article here.