The Online World of Always Connected Kids: Implications for Parenting

1. The Online World of Always Connected Kids: Implications for Parenting Simon Power David Letiecq Katelyn Regan November 27, 2013

2. Let’s look at some statistics

3. Advantages of Technology for Teens • Helps teens to connect! • With friends • With family • With people like them (religiously, culturally, experientially, interests…) • It gives TCKs the ability to stay in contact much easier • As parents you are able to communicate more with your teens (when they are out, when they eventually leave home)

4. More Advantages of Technology use Among Teens • They have access to enormous amounts of information. • It saves time on many levels (communication and information) • Bridges the gaps between cultures (the internet is common ground) • It allow for new ways to express creativity

5. Benefits of Technology Integrated Education • Facilitates new ways of cooperative learning and independent learning. • Students have a better attitude towards education • Keeps students engaged • Students are exposed to up-to-date information and practices. • Ensures our students will be competitive in our workforce and global economy

6. Benefits of Technology Integrated Education Continued • Communicate and interact with peers around the world • There is strong evidence to suggest that technology integration leads to better standardized testing results. • Teachers can track and assess student progress • Allows teachers to adapt the curriculum to differentiate and better meet students needs • Students have the opportunity to learn faster and more in-depth

7. Where have you seen some of these advantages with your teen? What other advantages do you see for our teens using technology?

8. Disadvantages of Technology Use Among Teens • Indirect health problems (they are less likely to engage in physical activities, screen time causes eyestrain, etc.) • There is a false sense of privacy. • Bad decisions that our teens will inevitably make are now more public and permanent. • Exposure to many age-inappropriate content and people • There is an addictive component.

9. More Disadvantages of Technology Use Among Teens • There are possible links to inattentiveness. • More unregulated screen time is associated with poorer academic performance. • Kids are not learning how to socialize face to face. • Gossip doesn’t just happen at school now. Cyberbullying is more public, permanent, and harder to contain.

10. Where have you seen some of these disadvantages with your teen? What other disadvantages do you see for our teens using technology?

11. What are you agreeing to? Lets play!

12. By submitting content through the _______ service, you grant ______ a worldwide, non-exclusive, royalty-free license to use, copy, reproduce, process, adapt, modify, publish, transmit, display and distribute such content in any and all media or distribution methods.”

13. AskFM!

14. Content Descriptors: Blood and Gore, Crude Humor, Mild Language, Suggestive Themes, Use of Alcohol, Violence Other: Includes online features that may expose players to unrated user-generated content

15. World of Warcraft

16. “By submitting content to _______, you hereby grant ______ a worldwide, non-exclusive, royalty-free, sublicenseable and transferable license to use, reproduce, distribute, prepare derivative works of, display, publish, adapt, make available online or electronically transmit… in any media formats and through any media channels.”

17. YouTube

18. _____ may gather and use information about you, including (but not limited to) information in the following categories: (a) Identification data (e.g. name, username, address, telephone number, mobile number, email address); (b) Profile information (e.g. age, gender, country of residence, language preference and any information that you choose to make available (c) Electronic identification data (e.g. IP addresses, cookies); (d) Banking and payment information (e.g. credit card information, account number); (f) Information about your usage of and interaction (g) Products or services ordered and delivered (h) The URL of videos that you have selected to appear in your mood message (j) List of your contacts and related data (k) Your username and password for other email accounts (n) Content of instant messaging communications, voicemails, and video messages (o) Location information, derived from your mobile carrier or from the mobile device that you use. (p) Mobile device information, such as manufacturer’s name, device model number, operating system, carrier network; (q) Location information and device identifiers, derived from your device. (r) Access tokens for other accounts you associate with your ____ account (such as Microsoft account or Facebook), which are like an electronic key provided by the service that acts in place of a password for authentication.

19. Skype!

20. “Talk to Strangers! _______ is a great place to meet new friends. When you use _______, we pick someone else at random and let you have a one-on-one chat with each other. You're kept anonymous unless you tell someone personal info”

21. Omegle

22. Managing at Home

23. Before we start, let’s acknowledge…. • Tech in the home can be the source of tension and conflict among many / all family members • As an enlightened parent who wants to change how the family relates to tech, it’s important to consider: • Adopting a business-like demeanor, remain cool and calm! • Listening to and validating your kids. • Choosing your timing wisely!

24. Ensure Balance • Articulate individual / family needs and values around family time, exercise, sleep, other social interactions, etc. • Parent driven / articulated v. family driven / articulated • Considerations: • Limit school-related screen time • Cap time to promote enhanced efficiency • Limit other screen time (after school work is completed) • During evening time (30 mins?) • On weekends (1-2 hours per day?) • Establish “No Tech Times”

25. Table Talk What would be some of your family’s “No Tech Times”?

26. No Tech Times • Examples • During meals or other designated family time (including family events) • When guests are present (including peer sleepovers) • While getting ready for school in the morning • During transition time (after arrival home) • 30-60 minutes before bed • At church / synagogue / temple

27. No Tech Times (cont’d) • Allow for alternative solitary or family activities • Reading • Creating art • Exercise • Playing / listening to music • Playing board / card games

28. Afternoon & Evening Time • Typical component parts: • Afterschool activities / athletics • Transition time (after arriving home) • Homework • Tutoring / lessons • Dinner • Leisure / family time • Bedtime

29. Transition Time • Transition time (after arrival home) • Oftentimes, it’s too long • Research indicates less success with HW initiation & completion the longer it takes for student to start HW • Oftentimes, kids play games or use computer • Suggestions: • Transition time = 15 minutes or less • Allow snacks, changing, playing with pet, washing up • No tech allowed!

30. Homework Time • Establish expectations and routines: • Homework done in a common space (for enhanced supervision) • Create a routine • Example: 15 mins after arrival, all at the dining table • Encourage focus & efficiency, discourage multi-tasking • Connect the dots to what children want • Phones & devices are kept elsewhere during HW time • Skype and other social media sites remain closed

31. Homework Time (cont’d) • Expectations (cont’d) • Non-school-related tech time is the reward after HW is completed • May be semi-private (in bedroom), but parents should be able to walk through and monitor • HW in bedroom may be a rewardonce good work habits are established, but parents should still be able to monitor

32. Homework Time (cont’d) • Structure the start, the process & end of HW time • START: Check agenda & blog • Bookmark blogs for efficiency • If your child must contact a peer to clarify HW, allow a brief telephone call in your presence (not a Skype chat) • Encourage your child to: • Identify whether internet is needed for each task • Estimate time for each HW task (including internet time) • Create a basic schedule of tasks

33. Homework Time (cont’d) • Structure continued… • Parent checks in occasionally on progress of HW (against schedule created by the child) and briefly explores lags • END: Parent reviews HW for thoroughness and completion, provides feedback, etc.

34. Process Considerations • Encourage laptop being closed on tasks not requiring the computer • Allow for breaks as appropriate • Watch for opening and closing of websites and chats, changing desktops (the swish of fingers), open chats • Encourage that child’s sound is on and not muted • Listen for chat-like sounds, videos, music • Swing by occasionally to check that sound is on

35. Process Considerations (cont’d) • Observe your child’s approach to HW and overall process • Length of time • Quality of work • Completeness • Problems of efficiency (online distractions? multi-tasking?) • Other issues?

36. Group Work • Teachers typically provide adequate time for group work in class • If your child insists that group work must occur online: • Have your child estimate time needed, limit / cap the time, child to inform peers of the limit • For an extension of time to be granted, have your child show the online work, chats with peers, etc.

37. Group Work (cont’d) • If productive, consider allowing an appropriate extension • If not productive, do not allow continuation of online group work. • Have child contact peers by phone -- in your presence -- to inform them and brainstorm alternatives for completing work • If no alternatives are possible before deadline, child emails teacher (cc’ing parent) • Child faces natural consequences

38. Group Work (cont’d) • If doubting “online group work” reason: • Check with teacher (trust but verify!) • Disallow further online collaboration for a period of time • Have your child inform teacher/peers by email (cc’ing parent) • Encourage your child to brainstorm viable alternatives for working with peers on group assignments • In the case HOT is considered, child to email teacher/peers (cc’ing parent) to schedule

39. As Bedtime Approaches… • Establish expectations and routines: • No laptops, phones or other devices in the kids’ bedroom during the night • Kids to turn in electronics before bedtime (or, better yet, 30 -60 mins before bed) • Establish a charging station in parents’ bedroom, a home office, etc.

40. Tech Contracts & Pledges • www.SafeKids.com • Kids’ Pledge, Teens’ Pledge & Parents’ Pledge • www.commonsensemedia.org • Family Media Contract • www.healthychildren.org • Media Time Family Pledge • www.fosi.org (Family Online Safety Institute) • Family Online Safety Contract • www.themodernparent.net • An Internet Contract

41. Other Considerations… • VPN / internet access • Password use on WiFi / routers, if possible • Parental controls • Controls on Mac do not work effectively • Other options • Time management programs • Monitoring software

42. Time Management (Rescue Time)

43. Time Management (Rescue Time)

44. Time Management (Rescue Time)

45. Monitoring Software • Filtering & blocking inappropriate online content • Social networking sites, chatting and IM-ing, online search filtering, file transfer blocking, application blocking, gaming content filtering (based on ESRB ratings), profanity masking • Recording Capabilities • Websites visited, online searches, usernames and passwords, social networking, remote reporting, email, chat, screenshot playback

46. Monitoring Software (cont’d) • Installation & Management • Remote management, local installation, stealth options, hot key / password access, scheduled monitoring, licenses included • Compatibility • Range of phones and operating systems • Help & Support • Free tech support, email, phone, live chat

47. Source: http://parental-software-review.toptenreviews.com/ • WebWatcher

48. QUESTIONS & ANSWERS