It was inevitable. The backlash is in full swing. There were the headlines and talk-show chats about digital detoxing and then the how-to books about digital sabbaths and shabbats. Some of it was fashionable, some of it fearful – all of it good if it got us to thinking about managing and not being managed by our smartphones and other digital social tools. So now there are all kind of strategies … [Read more...] about The smart smartphone social backlash
Parenting
Why Louis C.K. doesn’t let his kids have phones
The video has gone pretty viral over the past few days. On Conan O'Brien's show last week, Emmy-award-winning comedian Louis C.K. explained why he didn't want to give his daughters (aged 7 and 10) smartphones. [You can watch it at Slate.com.] What he says was – as my friend and fellow parent Anastasia Goodstein commented in Facebook – profound. But to get the depth of it, listen all the way … [Read more...] about Why Louis C.K. doesn’t let his kids have phones
Why kids need more, not less, play
A lightbulb went on when I read "Learning for a World of Constant Change" by authors John Seely Brown and Douglas Thomas. I think I understand now why there's so much cognitive dissonance at the intersection of new media and learning, not to mention "online safety." It has a lot to do with how media has changed, and parents and educators are still trying to catch up. Media is no longer just … [Read more...] about Why kids need more, not less, play
Of babies’ (then older kids’) privacy rights
This is a perennial question, but it's good that it keeps coming up. In Disney's Babble.com, parenting blogger Katie (last name wisely not provided for her son's privacy), again asks when a child's right to privacy kicks in and whether parents are violating that right by sharing photos in social media. "I believe that yes, my son has a right to privacy," she writes, "but I also believe that … [Read more...] about Of babies’ (then older kids’) privacy rights
Teens & social media: Parents’ other job
An interesting myth about social media is the one about tension between teen privacy and teen safety. Because of all the scary messaging about the Internet that has been in circulation for almost two decades, many parents seem to believe it's their job to monitor their children's Net use closely. The assumption is that privacy (from parents) jeopardizes their safety. That assumption deserves to … [Read more...] about Teens & social media: Parents’ other job