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Media & Press Media - Audio

[MEDIA] Talking about @SurreyPolice campaign for safer ‘Child in front of the door’ school photos with @BBCSurrey

This week, Surrey Police are carrying out a social media campaign, encouraging parents to think about that phenomenon, the ‘back to school’ photo’ in front of the front door’ (see how these celebrities did it)…

It even brought out a Daily Mash post, which is when you know it’s totally mainstream!

Usually I’m brought into a radio show to bring the positive perception of digital, but on this occasion, I’d support what Surrey Police are doing – they, and the radio interview, emphasise that this is not about panicking, but about applying some common sense. Here’s the helpful guidelines that Surrey Police offer:

I don’t like the fact that we have to worry about these things, and the chances are rare, but as my book Raising Children in a Digital Age: Enjoying the Best, Avoiding the Worst sought to demonstrate, there are things that we need to be wise about (the book was written on principles rather than specifics of social media platform, so still remains largely in date).

The Need for Digital Literacy

A small extract from my book, although typically it’s the children who do know what they’re doing, and the parents who need some digital literacy. :

Take time to talk to your child about what kind of information they give away about themselves in photos (e.g. school uniform), and encourage them to ask their friends’ permission before posting photos of others. With the increasing sophistication of facial recognition software (which compares new images with pre-existing tagged images online), there’s a growing chance of being tagged, although the Canadian MediaSmarts research (2012) demonstrated that most of their participants were savvy enough to regulate their own image, routinely untagging themselves in images on Facebook, and requesting friends to take down unflattering pictures. As a last resort they have reported those that they wish to have removed, or removed them themselves. They monitored friends’ pages to ensure that they were being represented fairly, and trusted each other not to expose silly or embarrassing pictures. Those that were on the phone were considered to be private and not for sharing without agreement, although children should still consider what might happen to those photos if the friendship were to fall apart.

Research shows that most teen social media users agree that they love posting photos of themselves online, with three-quarters of girls and nearly half the boys feeling that way, with a significant number seeking approval in the form of “Likes”. One thing that many users are not aware of is that most smartphones attach a huge amount of information to photos, including geolocation – right down to the detail of a specific room. This is very easy to switch off in the settings, and worth doing in places where you routinely hang out and at home.</p

If you want to ‘disable geotagging’, there is lots of help online – here are the simple tips for taking it off from the iPhone:

  1. Launch Settings from the Home screen of your iPhone or iPad.
  2. Tap Privacy. You’ll have to scroll down a bit to find it.
  3. Tap Location Services.
  4. Tap Camera.
  5. Tap Never.

Choosing Who Sees Your Content

Unfortunately these days school uniforms are very branded, and some are very distinctive. My general feeling is that most are too paranoid about social media, and affected by ‘moral panics’, thinking that people are more interested in us than they really are! If there is someone, however, seeking to do harm (rare, but it does happen), then we want to have put some thought into what we post, and to whom (sharing with friends on Facebook is much less problematic than posting on Instagram). Anyone who has adoptive children typically can’t partake in this ‘tradition’, and have learnt to manage privacy well (something we could all do with, taking our digital literacy seriously): be really aware of who can see your photos (Facebook has a lot of privacy options – learn how to use them – most are actually pretty simple), and think about putting people into . Possible to put people in ‘lists’ – e.g. family, work, church, school, etc. so only specific people see content. When you are posting, you then need to select either ‘friends except’ or ‘specific friends’ and choose a list to include or exclude:
There is also the chance that someone could screenshot the content, but this is more about trusting the people that we connect with online, and how much we know about them – otherwise we’d never do anything. The material may also be online for many years, although there are campaigns to allow people to ‘wipe clean’ their digital footprint at 18, but also employers and others need to remember that just because someone posted a daft photograph from years ago, doesn’t necessarily reflect on them now.

Asking Permission

One good practice a lot of parents have got into is asking the permission of their children before posting images, although the child needs to be a suitable age before you can ask. As I also wrote in my book:

The Parenting Place in New Zealand notes that many parents are announcing their pregnancy online (around 25 per cent share the news via the first scan), posting the child’s birth, first words, and first steps, creating a digital shadow before the child is even born. By the time they’re two, more than 90 per cent of children have an online history. A new term, “Sharents”, has been created for parents who appear to share every moment of their child’s life. Mashable gives some useful advice to such parents, and to those trying to cope with the “baby overload”: don’t believe that others have “perfect lives” with their children.

Is it just common sense?

As I was quoted saying in the Guardian earlier this year, much of it is:

“Much of it is common sense, says Bex Lewis, senior lecturer in digital marketing at Manchester Metropolitan University and author of Raising Children in a Digital Age. “Try not to put their school uniform in, try not to show that you have a regular pattern every day.” Most parents, you would hope, wouldn’t post pictures of their children naked but there are other things parents should perhaps think twice about. It is probably not fair, she says, to show pictures of a child having a meltdown, “although those are quite funny to watch”. Turn off geotagging, which tells internet users where you are, and lock down your privacy settings. Even then, “there is always a chance someone could screenshot the pictures, but someone could take a picture of your child in the park, and if you thought like that you’d never go anywhere. Keep the child involved in the conversation from an early age. The digital world is an everyday part of our lives now. It’s still evolving, so I’m not sure there are any fixed rules, but having a bit of thought about what you are posting and where you’re posting it is the critical thing.””

So let’s not panic about it, but be informed, and take sensible steps with our data sharing. Not forgetting:

The programme was broadcast on BBC Surrey at around 5.20pm, 6th September (this blog post was published earlier):

For my own records (and those who are Facebook friends with me), an interesting conversation was held about this on my page.

Categories
Media & Press Media - Audio

[MEDIA] Staying safe online during the summer hols with @WomanInLondon for @PremierRadio

I had a chat with Maria Rodrigues just before the summer holidays, talking about some of the issues and opportunities that parents might encounter regarding their children and online behaviour. You can listen to the 6.5 minutes here.

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Digital

16 Stories About #DigitalParenting, 26/12/13

Keeping track of a number of stories relating to ‘Raising Children in a Digital Age‘ in the news:

  • mhAILfwSanta in the Digital Age: Will He Survive?: I’m not saying that Santa is a bad thing (clearly I don’t think so), but he is a myth. And when kids are getting connected to the Internet at younger and younger ages, how long until the fabrication is impossible to keep going? How long until a YouTube video ruins the fun for hundreds of thousands of “connected” kids?
  • Introducing the Digital Dad: But other than being a digital enthusiast, I’m also a realist and the digital revolution is here to stay. Two thirds of UK 12- to 15-year-olds now have a smartphone, according to the latest Ofcom report – up 50% from the year before. Parents, if you haven’t already, you might as well join the online party.
  • How the Grinch Steals Christmas: He Follows Your Kid on Instagram: In Dr. Seuss’ timeless tale, the Grinch had to wait until all of Whoville was asleep, tie his dog to a sled and slink down a few too-tight chimneys in order to steal Christmas from the Whos. In 2013, all a savvy criminal needs to do is follow your kids on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Tumblr, Vine, Foursquare, Google+ and/or Snapchat to figure out when the coast is clear.
  • What Nonverbal Kids Can Gain From Technology: Many parents and teachers of children with special needs wonder if using technology to communicate is a good idea, or if it will stifle and get in the way of oral speech production. I’m asked this question almost every day in the office — I can feel their worry, I know their concerns. It’s a really good question that needs a full answer.
  • Do You Model Unhealthy Tech Habits?: From generation to generation, we teach our kids healthy habits. Eat right. Exercise. Brush your teeth. But when it comes to your technology habit, you could be setting a bad example — without even knowing it.
  • The Amazing iKid: My generation was the last to have had a childhood without a mobile phone. I got my first cell phone in my early twenties, and it was an archaic experience in comparison to today’s technology — no Internet, camera, Facebook, apps or texting, and it was just small enough to fit in my backpack. But I am grateful not to have been exposed to the seduction of the smartphone as a kid. I am sure I would have been just as tempted by it then as I am now. I am co-dependent with my mini-machine, and feel more lost if I leave the house without my phone than if I had forgotten to put on pants. It makes me wonder what is it like for these iKids growing up with endless access and distraction in the palm of their hands.
  • Holiday to-do list: Unplug with your children: While it’s fun to connect with family via social media, movies, and games — and believe me, there will be plenty of that going on anyway — it’s great to unplug for a while and enjoy some old-fashioned analog time together. You know, make eye contact, listen to each other’s voices, and engage in the physical world.
  • New Report Proves That Young People and Their Gadgets Can Co-Exist in the Great Outdoors: A new National Wildlife Federation report explores the positive benefits of technology and outdoor exploration. Friending Fresh Air: Connecting Kids to Nature in the Digital Age details how kids’ media habits can both positively and negatively impact health, learning and social development.
  • Babes in a Digital Toyland: Even 3-Year-Olds Get Gadgets: A recent survey of 1,000 parents with children between 2 and 10 found that more than half planned to buy a tech item for their children this holiday season. About two-thirds of those planned to give a tablet or smartphone, according to the survey, which was taken for PBS Kids, the brand of the public broadcasting network aimed at young children.

  • New York school all-in on all-digital textbooks: “We went to digital because it makes for better learning,” says Frank Portanova, vice principal at Stepinac. “This is the way kids learn today. And the online content is a lot richer. You’ve got assessments, you’ve got virtual labs, you’ve got blogging.”

  • Am I Crazy to Give My Tween a Cell Phone?: We have finally decided to give my old iPhone to our 11-year-old for Christmas, and I’m already concerned that this may end up being a big mistake. Quite a few of his classmates have a cell phone and he has been begging for one. I want to make him happy but I am worried that it may cause endless arguments. Am I crazy for giving him an iPhone?
  • 4 tips to disconnect from technology, reconnect your family: Rising to the challenge of parenting digital natives – a term commonly used to describe a generation of children who have never known a world without digital technologies – means that we have some important work to do. As a crucial first step, we need to both familiarize ourselves and keep up with technology. After all, the responsibility falls squarely on us to help our children learn good judgment and how to responsibly navigate the rapidly changing digital world.

  • Ella’s Kitchen targets tech savvy parents with digital weaning guide created by Delete: Previously Ella’s Kitchen had sent customers who signed up to be friends of the brand a printed guide to the weaning process. However, with its target audience increasingly demanding information on-the-go Ella’s Kitchen decided to make its guide fully digital and available for use on mobile, tablet and desktop.

  • Breaking the digital habit: Whenever I enter a restaurant, I’m presented with the sight of diners who, having ordered their dishes, are now hunched in the same position – heads bowed as they immerse themselves in their smartphones or pads. While the death of the art of pre-dinner chitchat at the hands of our electronic companions may be a blessing as well as a curse, depending on the dinner company you keep, more worrying is the increasing amount of time our children spend bewitched by these digital devices. (This is a BEHAVIOURAL problem, right?) 
  • Parents buying tablets for children urged to look out for hidden costs: The regulator urged parents to talk to their children about the costs involved in using mobile devices and tablets, and issued tips for consumers to help them avoid nasty surprises. These include looking at the small print when downloading apps and ensuring you know how to unsubscribe from any paid-for service.

and an interesting story about teaching your children to fail, questioning whether time with Dad has to be video time, whilst in the US/Canada children could receive a personalised message from Santa.

Categories
Digital

11 Stories About #DigitalParenting 17/12/13

Keeping track of a number of stories relating to ‘Raising Children in a Digital Age‘ in the news… and I love this piece about a ‘tech-deprived childhood‘:

News on digital tablet.

  • Link between cyberbullying and teen suicides oversimplified, experts say: One of the threads tying their deaths together is a cause-and-effect link made by the media, politicians and parents between persistent bullying and the victim’s decision to end their life — a phenomenon that generated its own buzzword — “bullycide.” It is something Todd and health experts say oversimplifies teen suicide and cyberbullying at the expense of recognizing the complex set of mental health issues that are usually at play in many cases. (In another article, teens speak out
  • Left to Chance With the iPotty: Snarkiness aside, I think we need to reflect loudly about how we make choices as parents and consumers. Corporate America and big box retailers may not have your back in this regard. As these baby human beings’ brains are rapidly making connections (young children make 700 synapses [connections between brain cells] per second during birth to 2 years), they are simply learning how to think. Do you really want the iPad doing the instructing?
  • I Might Be Mediocre, But at Least I’m Honest: So why is it that we parents feel the need to hide our realities from the world, especially social media? Check any mom’s Instagram or Facebook feed, including my own, and it looks like we are running a regular Montessori. The kids are smiling and sun-kissed. There’s paint and Legos and fresh fruit dripping from their chins.
  • Why You Need to Get Involved in Your Child’s Digital Life: Responsible parental screening of a child’s behavior has always been a good idea. But in today’s age of increasingly advanced technology, parents face unique challenges. While there certainly are advantages to instant access of virtually any kind of information, there are also formidable risks associated with our digital age that can be quite damaging to kids if parents don’t exercise appropriate levels of control. Put another way — damage can be done if parents don’t do their job.
  • Weston man faces child porn charges: Microsoft regularly uses automated scanning tools to monitor photos and other content uploaded to SkyDrive to ensure that users’ accounts do not contain illegal files, according to the company’s website. Suspected child pornography is automatically reported to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
  • Tarter: Author touts printed page in the digital age: The author also suggests that e-books have their place. “The e-book is here to stay,” he says, pointing to savings in time, space, trees and student spines (replacing heavy textbooks). But Trelease isn’t afraid to point to shortcomings in new technology, as well. “Research clearly shows that we read more slowly (6 to 11 percent) from a screen than from paper,” he said.
  • 7 Practical Tips for Parenting Digital Natives: “What are your recommendations for balancing technology use with socializing face-to-face?” This question was directed to a panel of psychologists at our recent high school PTA meeting. A universal parenting dilemma in our social media landscape, if ever one existed post-1999.
  • Drawp: Imaginations Soar With Inventive Art App For Kids: With this release, Drawp is launching a collaboration with talented artists from around the world who will create coloring pages exclusively for the Drawp app. The objective is to provide children with a constant stream of high quality art and to expose them to different styles in order to stimulate their creativity.
  • Europe Children Between 4 and 12 Spend Almost 3 Hours a Day in Front of TV: Children watch, passively, television, computers, mobile phones or ipads. Given this reality, a team of British pediatricians asserts in a research released in the medical journal “Archives of Disease in Childhood” that children under three should not be in contact with so many digital displays. For kids between 3 and 16, they suggest that a maximum of two hours a day should be set. The experts argue that spending more time in front of screens can cause damage to the physical and cognitive growth of children and overweight, heart problems, attention deficit or lack of empathy.
  • Internet a safe place for those who play safe: “Although the majority of kids are doing good things there is still a small percentage of people doing bad things and those predators are the people we need to protect our children from.”
  • iPad holder seat for babies sparks outcry: An advocacy group has called on toy maker Fisher-Price to stop selling a baby seat designed to hold an iPad at the front, saying the product encourages parents to leave infants alone to watch screens that could be harmful.

and BT offers a parental control filter, a Mum talks about finding another mum of a child with a rare condition, whilst programmes in New Zealand seek to diminish the ‘digital divide’.

Categories
Digital

11 Stories about #DigitalParenting 11/12/13

Keeping track of a number of stories relating to ‘Raising Children in a Digital Age‘ in the news:

  • Breaking News ScreenDo children need pencils or tablets?: The results of a new survey by an online guide to nurseries, daynurseries.co.uk, show that parents should protect their young ones from what has been termed as “technology creep” which sees devices such as tablets being used in nursery schools.
  • Children own 6 digital devices by 13: That’s the findings of a new survey by IT firm Logicalis, which also reveals that 84% of children polled own a smartphone, 78% own a laptop, and 51% own a tablet device.
  • Family Time: Moms champion traditional toys even in a digital age: While there is no denying the benefits of digital devices and it is becoming commonplace for parents to pass their tablets to Junior, research shows many want to limit the time their kids spend on screens, large and small. Parents also actively encourage their kids to play with toys that may help them reach critical developmental milestones. So how have traditional toys stood the test of time?
  • Making Good Digital Stuff for Kids Is Magic: For kids being digital is like breathing oxygen — it’s just something that you do. For the makers of quality kids digital media it’s like being a grand puppeteer. You’re best if you’re unnoticed. You want kids to believe in the magic that you create for them.
  • How Technology Is Warping Your Memory: Technology changes the way we live our daily lives, the way we learn, and the way we use our faculties of attention — and a growing body of research has suggested that it may have profound effects on our memories (particularly the short-term, or working, memory), altering and in some cases impairing its function.
  • A growing need for teaching digital citizenship to younger children: A recent report from Common Sense Media indicates that it is increasingly more common for kids under the age of nine to frequently use iPods, iPads or tablets, and mobile phones. In our schools we are witnessing these changes. It is becoming more common for younger students to have a Smartphone in their backpacks to be able to communicate with their parents and friends.

and opportunities for children to learn computer programming, contacting Santa, and an app that uses neuroscience to improve children’s maths scores.