Digital Smarts Blog

As Facebook fades in popularity with teens, the job of parents to keep up with their kids’ online lives is becoming more difficult. As a starting point, parents should learn what other social networking sites and apps their teens are using. To get that process started, take a look at the article 15 Sites and Apps Kids are Heading to After Facebook  that appeared recently on the Common Sense Media site. The article divides the types of apps and sites into various categories including: texting apps (such as Kik Messenger), microblogging (Instagram, Twitter and Vine fit in here), self-destructing/secret apps (Snapchat is the most known) and chatting/meeting/dating (ranging from MeetMe to Tinder). What each app/site is used for is summarized in the article, as well as bulleted lists of what parents need to know about each site.

As Facebook fades in popularity with teens, the job of parents to keep up with their kids’ online lives is becoming more difficult. As a starting point, parents should learn what other social networking sites and apps their teens are using. To get that process started, take a look at the article 15 Sites and Apps Kids are Heading to After Facebook  that appeared recently on the Common Sense Media site. The article divides the types of apps and sites into various categories including: texting apps (such as Kik Messenger), microblogging (Instagram, Twitter and Vine fit in here), self-destructing/secret apps (Snapchat is the most known) and chatting/meeting/dating (ranging from MeetMe to Tinder). What each app/site is used for is summarized in the article, as well as bulleted lists of what parents need to know about each site.

Did you know there are ways to capture information strictly from what is typed into your keyboard? Programs called keystroke loggers, or keyloggers for short, are nasty hacker tools that have the capability of stealing private information and passwords by capturing everything that is typed with your keyboard. While some companies and even parents have reported using keyloggers for monitoring purposes, a scammer (or an ex-boyfriend, girlfriend, or even casual “friend” who once had access to your computer) could use one to invade your privacy or steal your identity. They come in software and hardware form, and are not something to take lightly.

Physical keyloggers are easy to hide inside computers, and you would never know they were there. They can also sit on wires and cables, and if you don't know exactly what you're looking for, they can easily be missed. Fortunately, these external keyloggers are limited in what they can do, but their software counterparts are usually harder to detect and can do a lot more damage.

There are ways to prevent yourself from being victim of a keylogger scheme. KL-Detector is a small program that tells you if your Windows machine is infected with a software keylogger. It works by scanning your computer for new log files that a keylogger could be making. This free download pinpoints all programs that are creating those logs, so you can hunt down the keylogger on your machine. For a Mac, try reading the eHow article on the subject and follow the steps they suggest. Of course, many of your programs create logs, so you'll have to do some investigating. Look for programs you don't recognize and research them using Google. If you do find a keylogger, you will need to manually remove it. You can try security programs, but keyloggers are designed to avoid these.

To be truly safe, you might have to wipe your computer and reinstall everything. This is a last-resort option, but if you do have to wipe your computer, always make sure to back up your information first.

Did you know there are ways to capture information strictly from what is typed into your keyboard? Programs called keystroke loggers, or keyloggers for short, are nasty hacker tools that have the capability of stealing private information and passwords by capturing everything that is typed with your keyboard. While some companies and even parents have reported using keyloggers for monitoring purposes, a scammer (or an ex-boyfriend, girlfriend, or even casual “friend” who once had access to your computer) could use one to invade your privacy or steal your identity. They come in software and hardware form, and are not something to take lightly.

Physical keyloggers are easy to hide inside computers, and you would never know they were there. They can also sit on wires and cables, and if you don't know exactly what you're looking for, they can easily be missed. Fortunately, these external keyloggers are limited in what they can do, but their software counterparts are usually harder to detect and can do a lot more damage.

There are ways to prevent yourself from being victim of a keylogger scheme. KL-Detector is a small program that tells you if your Windows machine is infected with a software keylogger. It works by scanning your computer for new log files that a keylogger could be making. This free download pinpoints all programs that are creating those logs, so you can hunt down the keylogger on your machine. For a Mac, try reading the eHow article on the subject and follow the steps they suggest. Of course, many of your programs create logs, so you'll have to do some investigating. Look for programs you don't recognize and research them using Google. If you do find a keylogger, you will need to manually remove it. You can try security programs, but keyloggers are designed to avoid these.

To be truly safe, you might have to wipe your computer and reinstall everything. This is a last-resort option, but if you do have to wipe your computer, always make sure to back up your information first.

Car service Uber has added a new feature to its family-focused plan that could make rides with your children a bit easier: kid-friendly tablets. The company recently announced that Nabi 2 tablets have been put into hundreds of cars in its fleet in the Washington D.C. area. This initiative is part of Uber Family service, which already gives parents the option to request a vehicle with a car seat, and they are looking to offer this option in other markets as well.

Car service Uber has added a new feature to its family-focused plan that could make rides with your children a bit easier: kid-friendly tablets. The company recently announced that Nabi 2 tablets have been put into hundreds of cars in its fleet in the Washington D.C. area. This initiative is part of Uber Family service, which already gives parents the option to request a vehicle with a car seat, and they are looking to offer this option in other markets as well.

In the 2014-2015 school year, nearly 12 million K-12 students in public districts will be taking college readiness assessments online for the first time. While the knowledge of content may be there, do students have the technology skills necessary to perform well? Although many kids are familiar with using digital technology and have the skills necessary to navigate their devices and play online games, experts have found that didn’t necessarily translate to the skills needed to take an online assessment effectively.

What are some of the technology skills your children will need to perform well on online tests?

• Familiarity with the keyboard including key layout (especially delete, arrow keys and the space bar) and how to select text and operate drop-down menus. Ideally, students in third grade and up should have some basic keyboarding skills before they take the online assessments.
• Basic mouse skills including clicking, selecting and dragging and dropping objects, adding text boxes, unselecting items, and scrolling on a variety of style screens.
• Using online tools like a calculator, equation editor, protractor, ruler and video player.
• Being able to plot points on graphs and charts.

It is important to realize these are skills that students are expected to have and will be at a disadvantage if they do not.

In the 2014-2015 school year, nearly 12 million K-12 students in public districts will be taking college readiness assessments online for the first time. While the knowledge of content may be there, do students have the technology skills necessary to perform well? Although many kids are familiar with using digital technology and have the skills necessary to navigate their devices and play online games, experts have found that didn’t necessarily translate to the skills needed to take an online assessment effectively.

What are some of the technology skills your children will need to perform well on online tests?

• Familiarity with the keyboard including key layout (especially delete, arrow keys and the space bar) and how to select text and operate drop-down menus. Ideally, students in third grade and up should have some basic keyboarding skills before they take the online assessments.
• Basic mouse skills including clicking, selecting and dragging and dropping objects, adding text boxes, unselecting items, and scrolling on a variety of style screens.
• Using online tools like a calculator, equation editor, protractor, ruler and video player.
• Being able to plot points on graphs and charts.

It is important to realize these are skills that students are expected to have and will be at a disadvantage if they do not.

Got a gamer in your house? Take a look at Common Sense Media’s article 14 Tools to Turn Game-Obsessed Kids into Genuine Game Designers for ideas on how kids can use some of that gaming time and imagination for not just playing games, but for creating them. The programs suggested are fun and entertaining, and allow kids to design and build their own content or edit existing game elements . They can be a great creative outlet for kids of all ages and some are appropriate for children even as young as kindergarten.

Got a gamer in your house? Take a look at Common Sense Media’s article 14 Tools to Turn Game-Obsessed Kids into Genuine Game Designers for ideas on how kids can use some of that gaming time and imagination for not just playing games, but for creating them. The programs suggested are fun and entertaining, and allow kids to design and build their own content or edit existing game elements . They can be a great creative outlet for kids of all ages and some are appropriate for children even as young as kindergarten.

As part of Twitter’s plight to improve the safety of its subscribers, new users will be prevented from registering accounts with the phone numbers of known trolls (people who deliberately provoke others online to create discord). Steps have also been put in place to make it easier for users to report harassment on the network. The moves come after a memo by CEO Dick Costolo that calls for "kicking these people off right and left" in order to prevent online abuse, and comes on the heels of an initiative from last year that began to allow bystanders to report abuse. That same approach is now being taken for instances of self-harm, impersonation, and the publishing of private information.

As part of Twitter’s plight to improve the safety of its subscribers, new users will be prevented from registering accounts with the phone numbers of known trolls (people who deliberately provoke others online to create discord). Steps have also been put in place to make it easier for users to report harassment on the network. The moves come after a memo by CEO Dick Costolo that calls for "kicking these people off right and left" in order to prevent online abuse, and comes on the heels of an initiative from last year that began to allow bystanders to report abuse. That same approach is now being taken for instances of self-harm, impersonation, and the publishing of private information.

If you have a child who has learning or attention difficulties you know how hard it can be to convey to other people, including teachers, what that child experiences. The Understood site has released five virtual simulations that attempt to portray what it is like to have reading, writing, math, attention and organization issues. Experience it and pass it on.

If you have a child who has learning or attention difficulties you know how hard it can be to convey to other people, including teachers, what that child experiences. The Understood site has released five virtual simulations that attempt to portray what it is like to have reading, writing, math, attention and organization issues. Experience it and pass it on.

Google’s new app YouTube Kids debuted recently for Android and iOS devices, aiming to provide entertaining and educational videos for children while giving parents control over what their kids watch.  You can think of YouTube Kids as a fenced in playground where parents can worry less about their kid stumbling upon something that isn't age appropriate. Parents have the option of whether they want to allow their child to conduct searches, or instead can serve up a carefully curated selection of videos. A built-in timer is also available to keep viewing habits in check for older kids, with the setting controlled by a parents-only lock that will be out of their reach. Among the kid-approved staples included in the app are videos from Jim Henson TV, "Sesame Street" and "Thomas the Tank Engine."

Google’s new app YouTube Kids debuted recently for Android and iOS devices, aiming to provide entertaining and educational videos for children while giving parents control over what their kids watch.  You can think of YouTube Kids as a fenced in playground where parents can worry less about their kid stumbling upon something that isn't age appropriate. Parents have the option of whether they want to allow their child to conduct searches, or instead can serve up a carefully curated selection of videos. A built-in timer is also available to keep viewing habits in check for older kids, with the setting controlled by a parents-only lock that will be out of their reach. Among the kid-approved staples included in the app are videos from Jim Henson TV, "Sesame Street" and "Thomas the Tank Engine."

For parents of children in the 8 to 12 age range, the discussion about joining Facebook, Instagram or other social media sites has probably come up at some point.  Though the sites have clear rules about not allowing children under 13 to have accounts, younger children still want to sign up, and it makes it harder when their friends are allowed to have accounts. Most social media sites’ terms of service prohibit anyone younger than 13 to join because of the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), the federal law that puts tight controls on any site that collects information about those under 13. If they officially ban kids, they don't have to meet those requirements.

Experts also remind parents that overlooking the rule sends the message that it is okay to pick and choose which rules to follow. That message for some kids could translate into a slippery slope as they are developing their own moral compass. These days many parents are adopting what Steven Petrow wrote about recently on USA TODAY called the “training wheels “ approach. This graduated approach begins by having access to your tweens and teens login and password information, and being designated “friends” or “followers”. Parents can then loosen up their control as teens get older. Of course, the whole key to this policy is actually checking in from time to time to make sure your tween or teen has not changed the password without notifying you. You may also want to be sure you are the sole decision maker about privacy settings and remember to look at those periodically because they do change.

For parents of children in the 8 to 12 age range, the discussion about joining Facebook, Instagram or other social media sites has probably come up at some point.  Though the sites have clear rules about not allowing children under 13 to have accounts, younger children still want to sign up, and it makes it harder when their friends are allowed to have accounts. Most social media sites’ terms of service prohibit anyone younger than 13 to join because of the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), the federal law that puts tight controls on any site that collects information about those under 13. If they officially ban kids, they don't have to meet those requirements.

Experts also remind parents that overlooking the rule sends the message that it is okay to pick and choose which rules to follow. That message for some kids could translate into a slippery slope as they are developing their own moral compass. These days many parents are adopting what Steven Petrow wrote about recently on USA TODAY called the “training wheels “ approach. This graduated approach begins by having access to your tweens and teens login and password information, and being designated “friends” or “followers”. Parents can then loosen up their control as teens get older. Of course, the whole key to this policy is actually checking in from time to time to make sure your tween or teen has not changed the password without notifying you. You may also want to be sure you are the sole decision maker about privacy settings and remember to look at those periodically because they do change.

If you have a family member with a learning disability, you are probably already aware of how helpful certain technologies can be for them. It is a challenge though, to not only keep up with what is new in the assistive technology field, but also to figure out how available technologies work. For example, if you have a child who uses text-to-speech technology, knowing how to get PDF, EPUB, DAISY, MOBI, TEXT, and OCR format files to work on an iPad can be confusing at best.  Where can you turn to for that kind of information?

The Assistive Technology Industry Association (ATiA) provides low cost webinars several times a week on a wide range of helpful topics, both live and prerecorded. Though they are not free, you may still want to consider registering for particular topics of interest or finding out if school personnel who assist your child may be interested (schools and districts can get an ATiA membership, making the webinars free). If you want to follow trends in assistive technology, make sure you also sign up for the free newsletter on the ATiA home page.

If you have a family member with a learning disability, you are probably already aware of how helpful certain technologies can be for them. It is a challenge though, to not only keep up with what is new in the assistive technology field, but also to figure out how available technologies work. For example, if you have a child who uses text-to-speech technology, knowing how to get PDF, EPUB, DAISY, MOBI, TEXT, and OCR format files to work on an iPad can be confusing at best.  Where can you turn to for that kind of information?

The Assistive Technology Industry Association (ATiA) provides low cost webinars several times a week on a wide range of helpful topics, both live and prerecorded. Though they are not free, you may still want to consider registering for particular topics of interest or finding out if school personnel who assist your child may be interested (schools and districts can get an ATiA membership, making the webinars free). If you want to follow trends in assistive technology, make sure you also sign up for the free newsletter on the ATiA home page.