Articles

2014 Miss Teen USA, Cassidy Wolf, launched a cybercrime awareness campaign after being a victim of computer hacking and extortion. A high school classmate, Jared James Abrahams, gained access to her computer's webcam and "sextorted" her with private photos taken without her knowledge — many while she dressed/undressed in her room. "I was hysterical, scared, violated & had NO...SEE MORE

   Kids are back in school. Maybe your child, or their classmates, have a brand new phone. At the beginning of every school year, there tends to be a lot of bullying and other problematic behavior happening online. For this reason, at the beginning of every school year, I suggest parents do a cyber safety tune-up of their child's digital safety. Whether you have already done some...SEE MORE

A sharp spike in vaping and the use of e-cigarettes by students has grabbed the attention of school administrators and school police officers.   The rapid spread of the fad was flagged in a 2016 report from the US surgeon general. It cited a 900% increase in e-cigarette use by high school students from 2011 to 2015, and the 2016 National Youth Tobacco Survey noted that 1.7 million...SEE MORE

By: Clayton Cranford  On April 1st, I took my two teenaged boys and my wife to see the new Steven Spielberg movie, "Ready Player One" (RPO). This is not a review of the movie (incidentally, I found it entertaining), but a discussion of the world the movie portrays. A world I believe we are, to some extent, already living in, but definitely a world that is not too far off. My boys...SEE MORE

I get a lot of parents asking me how they can see their child's digital footprint. I teach a class for law enforcement personnel on how to use the Internet's free open source search engines to learn information about people. These same techniques are used by colleges and employers to learn a little more about their applicants. I tell students, you can say anything you want on your application,...SEE MORE

On January 12th, 2018, Google discontinued the Chrome Supervised User functionality for new users. The Supervised User account allowed parents to monitor their child's activity on Chromebooks. Google says current users with Supervised accounts will continue to function but cannot be edited. No new Supervised Users can be created.   How should parents monitor their child's new Chrome...SEE MORE

Two large Apple shareholders with a $2 billion stake have written an open letter to Apple. They are questioning the smartphone maker, saying it needs to respond to what’s seen as a “growing public health crisis” of smartphone addiction in young people.  The letter cites studies that show American teenagers receive their first smartphones at the age of 10 and spend...SEE MORE

A mother and father in Colorado say their 10-year-old daughter committed suicide over video of a fight with an alleged bully. Preventing a tragedy like this comes down to knowing the signs and know how to respond. Ashawnty Davis, was only in fifth grade. Her parents said she was a happy girl until everything changed at the end of October when she was involved in a fight after school. It...SEE MORE

Here are some safety issues you need to think about. So, you’re going to take the leap and buy your lucky child a new iSomething. An iPhone, iPad, or Android device can be an amazing gift. The entertainment and educational opportunities are nearly endless, but it also opens up the world of social media and cyberbullying. Creating a safe and enjoyable experience on your child’s...SEE MORE

What does online pornography, Harvey Weinstein, and the #MeToo movement have to do with each other? Why is one of the biggest proponents and incubators of sexual inequality and sexual violence against women getting a complete pass in this discussion? Read below to find how we can make a difference in our culture and train up our young men to respect women. For more than a week, social...SEE MORE

We are several weeks into the school year and you may be thinking the dust has settled. Unfortunately, new apps are appearing on our students’ phones causing issues at school and at home. In my book, Parenting in a Digital World, I lay out the two basic problems with social media. First, children can meet people outside their parent’s knowledge; and secondly, social media removes...SEE MORE

  The internet and social media are an amazing technological advancement. We have the ability to know more about the world, and other points of view than ever before. Social media, like Instagram and Snapchat, have become an integral part of many people’s lives. Many young people, often called Digital Natives, have never known a world without constant connectivity to the internet and each other.SEE MORE